On the Run
by fandomfan13
Summary: "Seven seconds. That's all it took for me to figure it out. Two seconds for me to turn on the TV, the news channel coming up immediately. That's all we ever watched anymore, always expecting to see our lies come crumbling down around us. Then four more for my brain to assess what was flashing on the screen, the last one left for me to stagger on the spot..." Set post 5x05. Emison.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

**Hi guys! I've been writing for a while but this is the first story I've ever published so I hope you guys like it! Sorry if it's a little choppy, it's been a while since I wrote a story so I'm still a little rusty. Hopefully it should get better with time! I have a couple of chapters already planned out so I might post the second one tonight, but I haven't decided how long I'm going to make this. Please let me know what you think! xoxo **

* * *

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _

I spent two years basically on my own, so you'd think I'd be used to the silence of an empty house. After being in Rosewood for more than a month, constantly surrounded by the girls in their attempt to keep me "protected", staying home while my dad traveled on his business trip and my idiot brother Jason was God-knows-where doing God-knows-what had me with a constant sense of unease that I just couldn't seem to shake. Yeah, okay – almost being strangled to death by A last week might have something to do with it. I felt like a sitting duck after that attack, just waiting for A to come around and finish the job whenever the bitch felt like it. So when someone started pounding on my door late in the afternoon, I was about ready to jump out of my skin.

"Ali!"

Spencer's voice made me sigh in relief. I'd been getting ready to grab whatever sharp object I could find in the kitchen. There was no way I was taking any chances.

"ALISON!" _BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. _

I rolled my eyes, the relief I'd felt at hearing Spencer's voice quickly fading. Never underestimate a Hastings's ability to annoy the crap out of you. "Hold your God-damned horses, Spencer!" After peaking through the window to make sure that it was in fact Spencer and only Spencer, I unlocked the millions of new locks my dad had placed on the front door and let her in.

"Turn on your TV." she said, rushing past me. She didn't even look my way as she headed straight to the living room.

"Nice to see you too, Spence." I smirked, following her into the house. Annoying as she was, it was kind of comforting to see her usual hectic self around all this chaos. I could almost imagine her like she was two years ago, about to go into a rant about her college application to UPenn.

"Turn on your TV." she repeated firmly.

This time she met my gaze, and the seriousness in her eyes made the smile melt off my face. This had nothing to do with school. My heart started to race as I reached for the remote. Had A already killed someone else? Someone important to me? To _us_? Had the police figured out my kidnapping story was a hoax? Had they figured out who killed Bethany Young?

"Put on the news."

Seven seconds. That's all it took for me to figure it out. Two seconds for me to turn on the TV, the news channel coming up immediately. That's all we ever watched anymore, always expecting to see our lies come crumbling down around us. Then four more for my brain to assess what was flashing on the screen, and one for me to stagger on the spot, my hand flying out to grab hold of the nearest thing around me to hold myself upright, which in this case was Spencer's shoulder.

'**Texas military base ****_Fort Hood_**** bombing disaster**' blared in red bold letters under the _Breaking News_ headline.

"That's Wayne Fields's base." I muttered, my eyes glued to the screen in horror, sinking down to the couch beside Spencer.

"Thirty seven casualties so far," Spencer said solemnly. "They haven't released the names yet."

"Emily?" I croaked, dragging my eyes off the screen to look at Spencer. God, if she knew about this −

She shook her head, her dark eyes swimming with worry. "I don't know. I've been calling her since news broke but she's not answering her cell."

My stomach felt like someone had turned it inside out. Wayne Fields was a rock to that family, I could never imagine them without him. And Emily was such a 'daddy's girl' when it came to him. She'd grow sick with worry whenever he was deployed, and even just having him set in Texas took its toll on her and her mom. Losing him could break Emily in a way nothing else ever could. And _Pam _–

"Isn't her mom in Texas this week?" I gasped suddenly.

Spencer nodded gravely.

"Oh my God, Spence." I buried my face in my hands, feeling tears burn at my eyes. This couldn't be happening. Pam Field had left two days ago to visit her husband for their upcoming anniversary. Losing Wayne was one thing, but losing them _both_? Could the universe really be that cruel? I had a sudden, ridiculous urge to laugh. Of course it could. "Where is she? Does she know about this?"

"I asked Hanna to go looking for her while I came to get you. I don't know if she's home or if she's out. I told Hanna to call me when she found her but –" Her phone buzzed, the caller ID flashing Hanna's face on the screen. "Speak of the devil."

I nodded for her to answer, my hand instinctively going to her arm in anticipation.

"Hanna." Spencer answered. "Wait, wait – let me put you on speaker. I'm at Ali's." She pressed the button on the screen and said, "Okay, talk."

"I found her at home." came Hanna's hushed voice through the phone's speakers. "I spent like fifteen minutes knocking on her door and I finally had to crawl in through a window. Which reminds me, we should really figure out some better way to lock our houses. I mean if I of all people could slip in through a freaking window, A could −"

"Hanna, focus!" I snapped. Yeah, she was making a good point. I'd been thinking about that myself, but now was definitely not the time to talk security strategies. "How is she?"

We heard Hanna sigh, Spencer and I exchanging worried glances. "I found her staring at her TV with a death grip on her phone like some zombie, she hasn't even moved since I got here. She won't even look at me. I have no clue how long she's been like this."

"Do you want us to come over there?" Spencer asked.

"No, not right now." We could hear Emily's TV in the background growing louder all of a sudden – she must have been checking on her − before Hanna continued almost in a whisper, "She's not really responsive right now anyways, and too many people might overwhelm her and make her crack or something. I told her you guys know what's going on and you'll be here in a heartbeat if she asks, but right now I think she just needs some space."

"Have any of you heard from Aria?" I asked, suddenly realizing one of us wasn't accounted for.

"I texted her earlier," Spencer told me. "She's at Radley right now but she told me she'd call when she finishes her shift."

I nodded, the three of us falling into silence. The TV continued to blare the same headline, the commentators stating that no new reports had been received in over an hour. I didn't even want to imagine the chaos that had to be surrounding the military base. My mind flashed back to what Spencer had said about the casualties. We all know hope breeds eternal misery, but right now all we could do was hope that Emily's parents didn't make the list that was sure to be made public in a few hours.

"Ali?"

I snapped out of my thoughts, my eyes falling to the phone in Spencer's hands. "Yeah?"

"She – she might really need you tonight." Hanna whispered.

My eyes closed as her words sunk in, words that for some reason created a flurry of butterflies in my stomach.

"She needs all of us right now but let's face it, you're the one she listens to the most. So just – be careful with her."

Hanna's tone had a warning edge to it that made my teeth clench. I get that she doesn't trust me yet, but if she really thought I'd play a game with Emily right now she was out of her damn mind. But if I started getting defensive now, I'd probably say a few things that would land me right back to Queen Bee bitch standards. God knows Hanna had been reckless enough recently for me to lash out a decent jive. So instead I sighed, glancing at the slightly reproachful look Spencer was giving me before nodding to myself.

"I know, Han."

"Just let us know if anything happens with her." Spencer added hastily.

We exchanged a few more words before Hanna hung up, leaving us to wait for her next call.

* * *

Three hours later and we still had no news. Aria had gone home to help Mike make dinner while their dad was away, and Hanna texted a while ago just to let us know that Emily had finally moved and recognized Hanna's presence. She had been trying for the last hour to call the military base herself, but apparently there was no way to get a straight answer out of anyone, and neither of her parents were answering the phone. So there was no news yet from the base: we couldn't decide if that was a good sign or not. Spencer was still with me, insisting on not leaving me alone just in case A tried anything while we were all distracted with Emily tonight. To be honest I was grateful for the company. If I'd been alone I would've driven myself mad by now imagining the worst scenarios possible.

I sighed as I finished washing the last of our dinner plates, a flash of lightning outside catching my eye through the window. It was close to nine o'clock now, and the storm that had been brewing for the last hour had finally started to pour a few minutes ago. I kept hoping this would all be some big mistake – that the accident would somehow have been in some other base on the other side of the country. But every time I looked at the television, I'd see the red banner running under the current programing displaying the details already notified in public.

"Hanna?"

I heard Spencer answer her phone in the other room but I didn't pay much attention, thinking Hanna was probably just calling for another update as instructed by the ever OCD Spencer Hastings. Either way I dried off my hands and went back to the living room, planning on spacing out to mindless television for a while to clear my head.

"Hanna, slow down. I can't understand you." Spencer gestured for me to come over with a frown as she lowered the volume on the TV.

My stomach clenched. Something wasn't right, I could feel it. I took my place next to her on the couch, scanning her face for any possible distraught or grief. She was scrunching up her face and practically pushing her phone through her ear, her hand raised in a silent question as Hanna babbled on. I didn't blame her; Hanna could ramble so fast when she wanted to that you'd need a hearing aid just to make out her words.

"WHAT?!" she screeched, making me jump. "What do you mean you lost her?!"

I felt my jaw drop in disbelief, my entire body immediately tensing. How the _hell _−?

"How the hell do you lose a person in their own house, Hanna?!" Spencer snapped angrily, echoing my own question word for word. She pinched the bridge of her nose the way she only did when she was really pissed and losing her patience.

I snatched the phone out of Spencer's hand, ignoring her cry of outrage, and placed the call on speaker. "Hanna, what the actual fuck?! Where the hell is Emily?"

"I don't know!" Hanna exclaimed, her tone exasperated. "I left her in the living room and went to the kitchen to get her something to drink and when I came back the front door was open and she was gone! Her car's still here so I either someone came in and kidnapped her or she took off running. And unless A hired some fucking samurai ninjas to do the job, there's no way I would've missed someone taking her."

"Was she on the phone when you left her?" Spencer asked. "Maybe she heard back from the military base."

"No! She was just sitting there, I would have heard her from the kitchen if she'd been talking to someone. I don't know what the hell happened!"

"If she's on foot then she couldn't have gone far." I reasoned. My thoughts were racing so fast I could barely keep track, trying to find some sort of explanation to _why_ she would do this. This was so unlike her.

"Wait a few more minutes and if she's not back by then we'll go out and look for her." Spencer spoke with a defeated sigh.

I felt my phone vibrate on the coffee table and I all but flew up to grab it, my heart thumping in anxiety. "Wait! I got a text, maybe it's her."

"No, she left her phone here." Hanna replied, her frustration nearly palpable over the phone. "I swear I'm going to murder her."

I quickly unlocked my phone and hit the messaging app as Spencer and Hanna tossed out ideas as to what might have happened. There was a new notification – from a blocked number. "Oh, God." My blood ran cold, my pulse quickening so much I could have sworn my heart was about to burst through my chest.

"What is it?" Spencer asked frantically, peering over my shoulder to read the text.

"It's – it's from A."

Spencer's jaw clenched as Hanna spewed out a stream of curses through the phone. We'd been so focused on Emily and her parents we'd completely blocked out our A issues, hard as it was to believe. And since A could never give us a break, he/she/it/_bitch _was already one step ahead.

"**Girl crush on the run. Her parents might be safe  
from the bombs, but who's going to keep her  
safe from me? Better get to her before I do.**

−**A.**"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! Thank you soo much for reviewing! My account is only just letting me respond with PMs so I'll start answering your reviews as quickly as I can. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to tell me what you thought so please, keep reviewing! I'm glad you guys liked the first chapter, hope you like this new one! I added a few things I hadn't originally planned to include so I hope you guys like them! Let me know what you think :) xoxo**

* * *

"**Girl crush on the run. Her parents might be safe **

**from the bombs, but who's going to keep her safe**

**from me? Better get to her before I do.**

−**A.**"

The room fell silent as the gravity behind A's words began to sink in, until finally Hanna spoke up.

"Wait, how does A know if her parents are safe?"

"It doesn't matter." I clenched my fingers tightly around my phone, feeling my blood boil in anger. The possibility that A had something to do with the bomb in Texas was something I couldn't even think about without getting sick to my stomach. "A's just playing us."

"But one thing's for sure." Spencer's eyes were set in steely resolve. "A knows Emily's out there alone, and this bitch has just declared the Space Race. We _have _to find her before A does."

I nodded, feeling my stare match Spencer's. Taunting and torturing us was one thing, but going _after _one of us was declaring full on _war_.

"Guys?"

The new voice in the room made me spin around so quickly I nearly bonked heads with Spencer, a strangled scream stuck half way in my throat. Hanna started yelling at us, demanding to know what was going on. Apparently I'd forgotten to lock the front door because Aria had found her way in, soaked from the rain pouring outside.

"Jesus, Aria!" Spencer panted, clutching her chest.

"Knock much?" I snapped irritably, my own heart banging against my ribs.

"Sorry," Aria said, holding her hands up in apology. "The front door was unlocked and I heard the TV so I just came in. Is that Hanna?"

"Yeah, it's me." Hanna replied. "You came just in time. We'd better get going."

"Call if you see anything." Spencer said before hanging up the call.

We immediately sprung up and started gathering our things, ignoring Aria's perplexed stare. I grabbed my keys and threw my purse over my shoulder as Spencer pulled on her rain coat.

"Wait, what's going on?" Aria asked when we started heading towards the door.

"Emily's gone." I explained as we stepped onto my front porch. "And A knows she's out there." The rain had become absolutely torrential now, thunder rumbling loudly over our heads. _Perfect weather for a search party_, I thought bitterly.

"Wait, what?!" Aria stopped in her tracks, grabbing my arm to pull me to a stop with her.

Spencer closed the door behind us. "We'll explain on the way. I'll run over to my house and get my car. We'll cover more ground if we split up." She made to leave, but turned around at the last second and added as an afterthought, "Ali, go with Aria and for the love of God, _don't _split up. We can't have A going after you too."

I rolled my eyes, feeling Aria instinctively pull me closer.

"She'll be fine."

I gestured wildly with my hands around us, reminding them that we were in fact in a crisis. "Yeah, okay. Can we like, go?!"

Spencer gave us one last firm nod before taking off at a run under the torrential rain shower, and again I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. She had to make everything so damn _dramatic_. Aria and I sprinted to her car, the short few steps managing to get us soaked. Aria immediately turned on the ignition and backed out of my drive way as I cranked the heat up, regretting not grabbing my own rain coat when I had the chance.

"Okay, explain." the brunette demanded.

And I did. It took about fifteen minutes to fill her in on everything she'd missed while she was at Radley, by which time we'd driven around our entire neighborhood. We all basically lived on three adjacent streets, so the possibility of finding Emily within a mile radius of our houses was slim to none if in fact she'd wanted to be alone when she left. Add in the fact that it was nearly impossible to see out the window in this downpour and we were probably looking at a good couple of hours of searching. Our only hope was that A would have just as much trouble finding her. Recounting today's events and realizing how our odds seemed to be against us only made me realized how completely terrified I was. If anything happened to this girl…

"This is insane," Aria remark brought me out of my thoughts. She was shaking her head disbelievingly as she squinted through the windshield. "This is _so _unlike her."

I nodded my agreement, staring blankly out the window trying to decipher the mess of dark shapes. "It's a tough situation, I guess. She's worried and scared, anyone would be."

We fell into silence after that, both of us pouring our efforts into spotting Emily out the window. Almost an hour passed like that with no luck. Eventually my phone buzzed in my purse and both Aria and I suddenly perked up, hoping it was Spencer or Hanna with good news. But when the same blocked number appeared on my screen, my hope crumbled into tiny miniscule pieces.

_Please tell me we're not too late_.

"**Tick. Tock. Time's running out!  
Can mermaids drown? Let's see if  
yours does.**

**A**"

Reading the text out loud made my vision go red. I was so freaking _tired_ of playing this game, but right now I was a lot more pissed than I was scared. I slammed my thumb against the lock button and flung my phone over my shoulder, angry tears blurring my vision.

"Hey," A small hand curled over my arm, Aria's thumb making soothing strokes over my skin. I glanced at her hand before looking up to see her offer me a soft smile. "Emily's strong, she'll get through this. We'll find her, Ali."

She sounded so confident, I wanted so desperately to believe her. The old me would have thought of some snappy, hurtful remark to throw back at her, but right now I was just grateful to have her with me. After everything that happened with Ezra in New York, if anyone could relate to what I was feeling it was Aria. Recognizing that parallel made my stomach erupt in butterflies, a reaction I had yet to get used to. So I chose to ignore and bury the feelings instead, just like I'd been doing since the first time Emily kissed me in the library all those years ago. I grasped Aria's hand, hesitantly returning her smile.

"Thanks." I whispered.

The look of surprise on her face almost made me smirk. Whatever response she'd been expecting, the one I just gave her clearly wasn't it. I'd been busting my ass trying to prove to everyone that I'd changed – and okay, the first few weeks hadn't exactly gone smoothly. But maybe after all of this with Emily, they'd finally start getting it. I was _trying_, for God's sake – harder than I'd tried for anything in my entire life. That had to count for something.

Another half hour went by with no more luck than the previous two. Where the hell could she have disappeared to? The rain was only getting worse and the later it got, the more I started to freak out. We were spared of any more texts from A, so I chose to believe that Emily had managed to steer clear of A's path. If we were too late, A wouldn't waste any time in rubbing it in our faces.

"This is hopeless," I muttered bitterly as we drove past the park for the second time. "How the hell are we supposed to see anything through this storm?"

Aria sighed. "I don't know, but we have to –" All of a sudden she cut off and slammed her foot on the breaks, sending me flying forward against my seatbelt.

"What the hell was that?" If we'd had any cars behind us, they would've plowed into us for sure. I winced as my hand rubbed over my collarbone where the seatbelt had dug into my skin. "You could've –"

Aria's hand shot up, signaling me to be quiet. She had her face all but pressed up against the window, looking out into street. "I think I saw something."

I sat up at that, making my own attempts at looking out her window. It was way too dark out to make out any distinctive shapes, but I knew for a fact we had just passed the park by our school. That meant we had to be right by the woods. I could just make out a fence in the distance, and there was a car pulling up to the curb on the other side, its headlights swerving in the darkness.

"Isn't that Spencer?" I asked quietly, pointing to the SUV that had just cut its engine.

Aria's phone lit up with a new text. The air became tense as she hesitantly reached for her phone, but she shook her head when she opened it.

"It's just Spencer."

I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding as she showed me the message.

"**Think I saw someone going into the woods. Gonna  
check it out.**"

So Aria _had_ seen something, because Spencer had seen it too. "Tell her to be careful." I said as Aria typed in her response. My heart was already hammering. "Not a good idea for her to go in there alone."

Sure enough, a light small enough to be from a flashlight appeared right by the spot where the car had pulled up. It moved a few paces, swerving around its area before it disappeared behind the trees.

"Should we follow her?" Aria asked.

I was about to answer when movement outside Aria's window caught my eye. I could only make out dark blobs through this rain, but there was definitely someone running down the sidewalk towards the trees – someone dressed in _very_ dark clothing. Aria saw it too, because she immediately turned to be with wide eyes. If both she and Spencer had just seen someone walking into the woods, then who the hell had we just seen?

"Shit."

Aria pulled the car up against the curve and cut the engine. We scrambled out of the car and I was suddenly taken aback by the force of the rain that was pouring over our heads. Water dripped over my face so quickly I could barely see through it. We crossed the street at a run and I managed to grab onto Aria's arm as we approached the edge of the woods.

"I can't see anything!" I yelled over the rain. It was way too dark for us to go in like this, we'd be going in completely blind.

It took a moment for her to realize what I had said, but she nodded when she finally understood. She took her phone out of her pocket, the light from the screen briefly illuminating her face, and turned on the flashlight app. The difference was incredible: I had never been so grateful for Life-proof covers in my life.

"Stay close to me." Aria bellowed, grabbing my hand in a firm grip.

We took off running, and thankfully the rain eased up a bit once we made it into the woods. The trees above us held back most of the water, and with Aria's phone as our flashlight we were able to at least see where we were going. The trail was soaked and slippery beneath our feet, the dirt having turned to mud long before we had arrived. On the plus side, having mud meant we could easily make any footprints so it didn't take long for us to find the right trail.

"Look!" Aria tugged at my arm and pointed at a spot a few feet in front of us.

The trail we'd been following had only one set of footprints up until this point, where apparently whoever we had been following up until now had run into someone else. My stomach clenched tightly, anxiety eating away at my nerves. I could tell there had been a scuffle by the way the mud was splattered all over the terrain. Aria seemed to be thinking the same thing because her brow creased in a frown.

A huge flash of lighting suddenly lit up the entire field around us long enough for us to spot a dark figure sprinting a fair share of yards ahead of us. I hadn't even realized I had started moving towards it until a scream stopped us both in our tracks. Far off in the distance we heard what distinctly sounded like Spencer's voice scream Emily's name before she was completely drowned out by a deafening round of thunder that had us covering our ears while it passed.

I felt my blood turn to ice. Aria's face had drained of all color.

_No. __**Please**__, no. _

We were sprinting now, as fast as our legs could carry us. I remembered telling Emily how normal people would sense danger and run in the opposite direction. Yet here we were, running straight into what could quite possibly be one of A's traps. That thought had me recognize that part of me was screaming at me to turn around and hide in the first place I could find. But when another scream echoed against the trees, sounding closer than the one before it, my only thought was Emily. I willed my legs to go faster, nearly falling into a slip of mud had Aria not grabbed my arms and pushed me back onto solid ground. We must have been getting close to the road again because the screeching of tires caught my attention. I pulled Aria to a stop, straining my ears to catch any other sound that might help us. I could barely hear anything over the pounding in my ears.

Aria's phone buzzed with a new text, making me tense.

"A?" I asked, praying that I was wrong. My chest was heaving, gasping for breath after everything we'd just run.

She shook her head, just as out of breath as I was. "Hanna."

I peered over her shoulder as she opened our group text. Hanna's message was short, but it sent a new wave of fear straight through to my bones.

"**Get out of there, NOW.**"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! Thank you soo much for all the reviews! I'm so glad you're liking the story. I promise the next chapters will be dripping with Emison feels :) but I hope you enjoy this one too! Let me know what you think! xoxo**

* * *

_I peered over her shoulder as she opened our group text. Hanna's message was short, but it sent a new wave of fear straight through to my bones. _

_"__**Get out of there, NOW.**__" _

My eyes snapped up to Aria, who seemed just as alarmed as I was. Hanna wasn't even _here_ right now, so how could she–?

_BEEP. BEEPBEEPBEEP BEEEEEEEP. _

Normally, a car honking its horn would be nothing out of the ordinary in Rosewood, since almost every high school boy with a license thought it was necessary to show off their cars by announcing their presence to the entire town. But it was getting close to midnight now, and no one in their right mind would be willingly driving in this storm. I remembered hearing tires screeching on the road nearby just a few moments ago, and now that I thought about it that horn sounded vaguely familiar.

"It's Hanna." Aria realized suddenly, latching on to my arm. "That's Hanna's car."

She was right. So if Hanna was at the edge of the woods honking the ass out of her car and she'd just texted us to get out, then – "She saw something."

I had barely finished the sentence when a sharp snapping of branches resonated through the trees behind us, followed by the unmistakable sound of footsteps splashing through mud at an impressive pace, growing louder as they approached us. Aria made to take off running but I grabbed her by the hand and yanked her towards the nearest trees. There was no time, we had to _hide_. We found a tall oak tree thick enough to hide us both, so I pulled her with me and pressed both of our backs against the trunk.

"Turn that off!" I hissed frantically, realizing her phone still had the flashlight app on. Having that thing on was basically hoisting up a sign for A saying _Hey! We're here! Come and kill us!_

Aria fumbled around desperately with her phone until finally the light went off and we were thrust into complete darkness. I could barely distinguish the footsteps from the water splashing on the ground between the roar of the rain pounding on the canopy of leaves above our heads and the blood rushing in my ears, fueled by the adrenaline spreading through my body with every overactive pump of my racing heart. I nudged Aria's side and gestured for her to peek over her side while I did the same on mine. My eyes were still adjusting to the darkness around us, but there was no way I could've missed the hooded figure standing basically three feet away from our tree, thankfully with its back to me. The clothes were too baggy for me to make out if it was a guy or a girl, but it was definitely a classic A-type black hoodie.

I pulled back quickly, bile crawling up my throat. He was so _close_.

"All clear on my – mmpff!"

It was pure instinct that made me slap my hand over Aria's mouth. It was too dark for me to see her face, but by the way she sunk her nails into my wrist I gathered she wasn't too pleased with my solution.

"Behind us." I whispered.

She inhaled sharply through her nose in alarm. I felt safe in lowering my hand now that she understood that we had to be quiet. Then we heard a crunch, like someone stepping over a pile of branches.

He was coming this way.

I could feel myself shaking. Aria was breathing heavily beside me. Whoever it was took another step towards us, so Aria took a step to her right and pulled me with her, hopefully shielding us further from view.

Suddenly Aria gasped quietly and fell to her knees. My heart nearly stopped, thinking A had somehow figured out we were here and had hit her with some type of weird dart or something. But she started patting the ground around her until her fingers landed on a rock about the size of a golf ball and she held it up in triumph.

I sighed in relief, feeling ridiculous. Emily had me watching way too many horror movies.

"I know what to do." she whispered as she pulled herself up. "What is he doing?"

I risked a glance around our tree. He was definitely closer now, but thankfully he'd been moving aimlessly and was apparently still unaware of our presence. He was checking something on what looked like a burner phone. Could that be the phone A used to taunt us every single day?

"He's on the phone." I replied quietly.

Aria sighed. She tightened her hold on the rock for a moment, seemingly steeling her resolve, before turning and chucking it as hard as she could in the same direction the figure had come. I spun around and watched as the person instantly put away the phone and started running towards the noise he'd heard.

My body sagged against the tree in relief. "Oh my God, I could kiss you right now."

Aria snorted, already pushing me in direction of her car. "Save it for later. Let's get the hell out of here first."

We sprinted the rest of the way back to the car. At one point I could've sworn I heard footsteps coming at us from behind, but I was too terrified to look back and check. Finally, we broke through the last of the trees and landed back on the sidewalk. The storm was still going strong, I noticed, as winds started to pick up while we crossed the street to the car. Once inside the car, my relief lasted about five seconds before I realized what we'd just done.

"What the hell did we just do?!" I cried. "We just left Emily in there with A!"

Aria nodded, already punching in Hanna's number into her phone. "I know, I know. Hanna has to know something we don't. She wouldn't have told us to leave if she didn't."

That was true, but it did little to calm me down. The thought of Emily alone in that God-forsaken forest with A on the loose had every nerve on my body on ends. Hanna had to know something we didn't. She wouldn't have made us leave Emily to fend for herself. If I hadn't been so freaked out myself I would have never left in the first place.

The car's sound system crackled as the outgoing call in Aria's phone transferred to the Bluetooth system. The phone rang three times before an incoming call interrupted, Spencer's number flashing on the car's screen. Aria answered quickly, but Spencer didn't give us a chance to speak.

"Aria, I have Hanna on the line."

"Okay, so what _was _that?" Aria asked, her tiny hands wiping at her wet face in distress. "Han, you just made us leave while Emily is still –"

"Guys, guys, relax." Hanna sounded way too relaxed, and that only made me want to slap some sense into her. Now was _not_ the time to get all zen. "I found her, she's with me."

Aria and I both released a sigh of pure, unadulterated relief just as Spencer's sounded through the speakers. I sunk into my seat, feeling my heart about to burst with happiness. She was out. She got away. I couldn't speak, I could barely move. A million questions were forming inside my head, but my body was too weak to respond to any sort of command.

"Is she okay?" Spencer asked.

"She's fine. Soaked and probably coming down with pneumonia as we speak," Aria chuckled at that, glancing at our dripping clothes. "but she's fine. I found her coming out of the woods by the park."

"Found me?! You nearly ran me over with your car, Hanna."

All three of us laughed as Hanna tried to counter. So _that's_ what the screeching tires had been about. I doubled over, resting my elbows on my knees and burying my face in my hands. _God, _her voice was just… Hearing her voice sent all kinds of chills and tingles through my body.

_She's okay. She's safe. _I'd never been so happy in my entire life.

"Shut up, Em. You'd still be wandering through those trees running away from A if it wasn't for me."

My stomach dropped painfully with the memory of her screams. We'd come so close to losing her tonight. Just the thought of anything happening to her had my eyes watering. I sighed into my palms, grateful that Aria couldn't see me right now.

"Yeah, that was way too close." Aria agreed. "How did you know A was in there?"

"Hey, we could spend the rest of the night under this storm talking about this," Hanna replied. "_Or_, Emily could share the piece of awesome news we received while we were waiting for you three idiots to run out of the woods."

Good news? That sounded so foreign I almost laughed out loud.

"Yeah, um…" I could just imagine Emily wringing her hands in her lap, her cheeks tainted with a blush as all attention was suddenly on her. That image made me smile for what I felt like the first time in the entire day. "While we were waiting, Hanna got a call…from my mom. She and my dad are both fine."

An entirely new wave of relief rushed through me as Aria started laughing in relief and Spencer sighed. I was crying now, hot tears streaming down my face. I ran my hands through my hair, realizing my head was shaking in disbelief.

They were _okay_. They were _all _okay.

"Oh my God, Em." Spencer breathed. "That's amazing."

I could feel Aria's eyes on me now. I was still doubled over, completely frozen in place. My palms pressed hard against my lips to stifle any possible sobs, but I could feel my shoulders shaking.

"Where's Ali?" Hanna asked.

"You didn't leave her alone, did you?" Emily added quickly.

Her frantic tone made me chuckle. I couldn't bring myself to speak up, or to even sit up for that matter. My tears had died down somewhat, but I wanted to get a better hold of myself before I faced Aria.

"No, she's right here with me." the brunette assured. I felt her place her hand on my back, rubbing gentle circles. "She's just – very very happy you're okay, Em."

Oh God, she knew. She _knew_.

"We all are." Spencer reiterated.

"Okay, Emily's teeth are chattering," Hanna laughed. "So let's head back to the house and we'll fill each other in there."

"Alright, be there in five." Aria said, and I heard the beep that signaled the end of the call. She removed her hand from my back for a few moments while she started driving.

I tried to wipe the tears off my cheeks as discreetly as I could before I sat up, but still I chose to look out the window instead of meeting her gaze. After a few minutes she swerved into the emergency lane and slowed to a stop. She'd pulled over two streets away from Emily's house. I had to smile as I realized she was giving me time to get myself together. Aria grabbed my hand gently, and I could feel the hesitation in her gesture.

"Hey," she said softly, giving my hand a squeeze. "You okay?"

I inhaled deeply before turning to look at her. She was staring at me with this comforting gaze that made me want to hug her and run the hell away from this car at the same time. It was the same look she'd had back in New York when I'd told them that my mom had buried me alive. I remembered her words from that night clear as day because I think she was the first one to ever say them to me.

_"__Ali, we are here for you." _

"Yeah," I answered with a smile, my voice breaking embarrassingly. "I'm –I'm fine."

I sensed Aria's demeanor change as she frowned, and I felt myself grow annoyed. Yeah okay, I was different. They had probably never seen me cry before the whole New York fiasco, and here I was breaking down for the second time right before her eyes. Over one of _them_, no less. The Alison they knew would have _never_ allowed herself to cry like this. In fact, I would've been the first one to lash out some snarky comment on how Emily's life would have been so much easier without her parents or something like that once we knew they were safe. I was a monster, I get it. But seeing me change into something that actually resembled a human being didn't give her the right to stare at me as if I had _just _turned into the monster they had known years ago. I was sick of all the looks I kept getting every time I tried to be nice, or polite, or genuine, and I was about to go into a rant and speak my mind for the first time since I'd come back to this town but she spoke up first.

"You really care about her, don't you?"

That was the last thing I'd expected her to say. I could feel myself blushing and I hoped the darkness in the car would cover the red tint that was creeping up my neck. She knew, of course she knew. Whatever I said next would either make it or break it for me with Aria. And maybe, if I had Aria, the others would come around too.

Maybe.

I looked away, because − as much as I wanted to − I wasn't ready to look her in the eye as I swallowed my pride and answered. "More than anything."

She didn't say anything else but she let go of my hand. I was too afraid to look at her. Did she believe me? Or was she like the rest of them that believed I was only using her to get her back on my side? I heard her sigh before she put the car back into gear and pulled out into the road. We drove the rest of the way in silence, but as she pulled up to Emily's driveway, I risked a glance at Aria's face. She was smiling.

"I don't have an umbrella." was all she said as she finally turned to me.

I actually laughed, throwing my head back heartily. I'd practically just admitted to her that Emily was the love of my life. And she chose to talk about umbrellas, as if we hadn't just walked through _hell _in the middle of a freaking thunder storm just to get Emily back home.

God, I loved this girl.

She grinned back at me and reached over to squeeze my hand. "Come on, they should be inside."

With that, she opened her door and took off at a run towards the house. The lights were on inside and the front door was open, Hanna and Spencer's cars parked right outside in front of Aria's. I grabbed my purse and made to follow her, yearning to get back to Emily, when I heard a phone buzz. I'd completely forgotten that I had thrown my phone to the back seat while we'd been driving through town. Sure enough, a new text message was flashing on the screen as I reached for it: another text from a blocked number. A chill ran down my spine, my eyes instinctively glancing at my surroundings, half expecting to see a hooded figure through the rain.

"**Saved your girl crush tonight, but don't  
****hold your breath. It's only a matter of  
time before you drown her with you. **

**Kisses! **

**A**"

I sighed. I couldn't even bring myself to be angry anymore, I was too happy to see A fail. But this bitch was getting on my last nerve. Mona was child's play compared to this new A, and whoever this was had made it clear that anyone and everyone was an easy target.

Realizing I'd probably spent a few minutes already in the car and that the others would probably start getting worried soon, I slipped my phone back into my purse and sprinted towards the house. It took all of five steps, but the little I had managed to dry was soaking wet by the time I reached the front porch and heard the girls laughing inside.

My stomach was already erupting in butterflies by the time I walked through the front door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! Sorry this update took a little longer than the others. I ran into an unexpected bout of writers block so I had some trouble writing this. I hope it's not too noticeable :$ it didn't come out exactly as I wanted but I hope you guys like it either way. Now I know I promised some good Emison feels, but with the way it came out the actual scene I'm thinking about will be in the next chapter. Still, I hope this is enough to keep you guys holding on until my next update. Thank you soo much for all the reviews! I'm so glad you're all liking this story :) As always, let me know what you think! xoxo**

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I could hear the others in the living room, and I walked in just as Aria and Emily were pulling out of a hug. They had Em sitting on the couch with a towel thrown over her shoulders and a thick, wool blanket on her lap. Her hair was still soaked and dripping onto the fabric and she was shivering, but her entire demeanor radiated pure relief. Actually seeing her felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest, like – like I could finally _breathe_.

"Don't do that again, okay?" Aria prodded playfully, dropping a kiss to the top the swimmer's head.

Emily smiled blushingly and shook her head in a promise. "I won't."

"There you are!" Hanna exclaimed as she caught sight of me. She evidently came from the kitchen, holding a steaming mug no doubt filled with coffee. I winced, hoping for Emily's sake that Spencer hadn't made it. A Hastings's cup of Joe was more like the kiss of death.

Spencer came in behind her with extra blankets. "Where were you?" she asked, making her way around me to drop the blankets on the couch.

"In the car," I answered absently, my eyes finding their way back to Emily. It was ridiculous, but I didn't want her out of my sight. I felt as if I'd blink and A would whisk her away from me.

"Let me go get you and Aria some towels," Hanna said hastily, placing the mug on the coffee table in front of Emily before disappearing up the stairs.

I chuckled to myself at the look of amused surprise that crossed over Emily's face. Hanna had a habit of making herself completely at home in everyone's houses.

Aria stepped back from Emily and threw me an encouraging wink. I tried not to blush as I answered with a smile, feeling eternally grateful to the girl in front of me. Turning back to Emily, the swimmer had her eyes locked on me with a sheepish smile adorning her face. My heart fluttered as she looked up at me through her eyelashes. I couldn't help but smirk at how freaking adorable she looked.

"Ali," she said shyly, her voice going up at the end as if she was asking a question. She sounded so small, like a child who knew she was about to be scolded.

Some part of me wanted to be mad. I _should _have been mad, since she got herself into this situation in the first place. But having her in front of me, all tiny and safe and gorgeous and perfect… I puffed out a laugh, almost running to close the distance between us and dropped into the seat next to her to pull her into a searing hug. "Damn you, Em."

I could feel her fingers clenching the back of my shirt tightly. Her lips were pressed against my shoulder, I noticed, as she mumbled a quiet, "I'm sorry."

"I was so scared," I whispered, running my hand over the back of her head soothingly. I found myself burying my face into her wet hair, trying to ignore the full blown circus that was currently doing aerobatics in my stomach. My eyes momentarily fluttered closed when she tightened her hold on me.

"I'm so sorry," she breathed.

Her hot breath fanned over the skin of my neck, making me shudder. She really had no idea of the effect she had on me. I let myself indulge in holding her a while longer, if only to assure myself that she was here, that she was real. Was this how she felt when she saw me again in the warehouse? She'd been gone for three hours, I'd been gone for two _years_.

"As cute as it'd be to see the two of you make out right now, there are like three other rooms upstairs where you could do that without us having to actually see."

I sighed dramatically and rolled my eyes, making Emily giggle as we pulled away. Hanna always knew the perfect way to ruin the moment.

"Way to kill the mood, Han." I said half-jokingly, receiving a towel to the face as her retort.

Emily laughed, taking one of my hands in her own and squeezing. Goosebumps ran up all along my arm at her touch. I threw her a wink, hoping she didn't notice as I began drying my hair. Aria asked something I didn't quite make out, but as Emily turned to answer her I took the moment to run my eyes over the contours of her face. God, she was beautiful. Her warm brown eyes, her soft lips, her cute nose, her perfect –

"Em, what happened to you?" I asked in alarm, noticing a spot of blood on her forehead just above her right eye. I cradled her chin in my hand and tilted her head to get a better look. How had I not seen this before?

"Damn it, I knew I forgot something." Hanna cursed, slapping a hand to her forehead. "I'll be back with the first aid kit."

I turned back to Emily, raising my eyebrows questioningly. Anger was already bubbling in my chest. If A had so much as _touched_ her, I would hunt this bitch down myself. My anger was probably evident on my face because Emily started to blush, so I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to relax.

Emily dropped her gaze to her hands as she explained, "A was chasing me and I tripped over a branch, so A caught up with me and pushed me against a tree. I sort of – hit my head against – against the trunk." My eyes widened in alarm, my hand immediately flying to her forehead to get a better look. She noticed my distress and grabbed my hand before adding quickly, "But it's nothing! I swear, it's just a scrape."

"She's right," Spencer assured, sitting down on the loveseat next to Aria. "I found her just after that and I checked it. It was bleeding like hell, but it's totally superficial. Don't worry."

I sighed, turning back to get another look at it. Grabbing my towel, I cradled Emily's cheek in one hand while applying gentle pressure to the scrape with the other. I could practically hear the look Spencer had to be giving Aria, but if I was totally honest I didn't give a flying crap anymore. If they wanted to doubt me, they could go right ahead. That thought made me press down a little harder than intended, making Emily wince. Immediately I pulled the towel back, grimacing in apology.

"Sorry, sweetie."

Emily smiled warmly, her teeth scraping over her bottom lip in a way that instantly drew my eyes to the spot. "It's fine."

Thankfully her voice broke me out of the moment before I could actually embarrass myself, reminding me that she was still hurt. Sure enough, the scrape didn't even seem to be bleeding that much anymore, so Spencer was right. Hanna came back in with the first aid kit, which I quickly grabbed out of her hands and opened in my lap. Right now I didn't want anyone touching Emily but me. Hanna smirked at me in a way that told me she saw right through my façade. I rolled my eyes, refusing to let her rattle me. This was none of her business.

"So what exactly happened while I was gone?" Emily asked.

I saw Spencer open her mouth to start explaining, but Hanna cut her off as she sat down in the armchair across from us.

"Before we get to that, I'd be very interesting in knowing what the _hell_ happened in those woods."

I smirked at that as I rummaged through the first aid kit; wouldn't _she _like to know. She'd spent the entire time in the safe confines of her car while we had been in there running like chickens with our heads cut off trying to find Emily and get the hell away from A. I actually wanted to hear Emily's side of the story, though, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to focus on the conversation while I had my hands on her.

"We'll get to that later," I told her. "Tell the other story first while I do this. I want to be careful, and Emily tends to act out a story if she's telling it herself."

Emily stuck her tongue out at me playfully, making me giggle. But they apparently agreed, because Spencer started to explain everything she'd done today since she first heard of the bombing news. She and Hanna had the story covered, so I turned my attention to the girl in front of me. Thankfully, her scrape was just one neat line about two inches above her eyebrow that would seal up nicely if properly cleaned. I ripped open an alcohol swab, knowing this would be the worst part.

"This will probably sting a little bit," I warned quietly, again raising my hand to hold her jaw. She glanced warily at the swab in my hand but held still as I dabbed at the cut. At first contact, she hissed loudly and yanked her head out of my grasp.

"Don't be such a baby, Em." Hanna teased.

Again, Emily glared and stuck her tongue out, making us all laugh. I scooted closer to her so our thighs were touching, cradling her face gently in my hands and turning her to look at me.

"I'll be quick," I promised.

She nodded and let me do quick work of disinfecting the wound, letting her only sign of discomfort be the grimaces that overcame her features whenever the cold swab came in contact with her skin. Finally, I grabbed a tiny adhesive bandage and placed it across the scrape, pressing it down with the pad of my thumb.

"All done," I murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the bandaged spot.

She inhaled sharply, no doubt in surprise. Sweet gestures like that were usually reserved for when it was just the two of us, but like I said, after tonight having the girls there didn't bother me in the slightest. Any craps given? Not even flying ones. I smiled at her, as warmly as I could, and let my thumb stroke quickly over her cheek.

"So wait, Ali," Spencer said. "A texted you guys again after we left?"

I sighed, the moment effectively broken. I hadn't been listening to what they were saying, but Aria must have told them about the texts I'd received while we'd been driving around. I closed the first aid kit and placed it on the coffee table in front of me.

"And again before I got out of the car," I admitted, tossing her my phone so she could read the texts herself. "They definitely wanted Emily tonight."

Hanna shook her head angrily. "Well too freaking bad. We already had Ali attacked last week, like hell I'm dealing with that again."

I spotted the untouched coffee mug on the table and grabbed it myself, offering it to Emily. She smiled gratefully and took a sip. I had to disguise my laugh through a cough when her face contorted into a grimace and she set the mug back down on the table. Spencer had definitely made that.

"A texted me too," Emily admitted, her gaze dropping down to her hands she was wringing together in her lap. "That's why I left."

I grabbed one of her hands and laced our fingers, causing her to look up at me in surprise. I hated seeing her so distressed, so I smiled, my thumb stroking over her knuckles soothingly, and she relaxed.

"What did it say?" Aria asked softly.

Emily sighed. "It was about my parents. I think –" Her brow furrowed in a frown. She looked scared as she said, "I think A planted the bomb that went off in my dad's base."

Deep down I knew that it had been a possibility. It was too much of a coincidence that the bomb had gone off just as Emily's parents had reunited, even more if we took into consideration the fact that A had known her parents had not been injured in the explosion. Still, hearing Emily confirm it made my stomach knot uncomfortably. Just how much power did this new A have?

Hanna shuddered. "That is way too creepy to think about."

"Speaking of creepy," Spencer piped in, turning to Hanna. "_What _was that text of yours about?"

"Yeah, seriously Hanna." Aria agreed, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

It took Hanna a moment to figure out what they were talking about, but she looked like it was one of the most important things she'd ever done when she finally did remember. "I saved every one of your asses tonight! That was right after I found Emily. We saw like three −"

"Five." Emily corrected.

"− different people with hoodies head into the woods." Hanna finished, as if Emily hadn't spoken.

My eyes widened, my gaze meeting Aria's, who seemed just as distraught. I remembered seeing the hooded figure typing on his phone: he hadn't been texting _us_. He'd been communicating with the rest of his team. With the rest of the A team. We had probably been surrounded by people and we hadn't had a clue. Thank _God_ we made it out of there in time.

"So we were in there with the entire A team?" Spencer asked, clearly alarmed. "I thought the one chasing Emily was the only one."

"We saw one too," I said. "And Spencer came in through the other side of the woods so it might not have been the same one."

"Did he see you?" Emily asked worriedly, her hand tightening her hold on mine.

"No," Aria answered quickly. "We managed to distract him so we could run the other way."

I did a quick head count in my head, the results sending chills down my spine. "So there were easily seven or eight people there with us."

Hanna nodded. "Why do you think I started honking the ass out of my car? I didn't know if you'd received my text and there was practically a freaking army in there with you."

"So the A team is back," Spencer concluded with a sigh.

"It would appear so." Emily confirmed, somewhat bitterly. "Either that or Mona's gang, unless they're both the same."

"But would Mona really be capable of killing your parents?" Aria asked.

That was a valid question. From what I'd seen while I was gone, and from what CeCe had told me, Mona seemed more like the type to taunt and exploit, not kidnap and murder. A bombed a _military _base today, for God's sake. Mona was insane, but this was just plain psychotic.

I felt Emily place the hand I wasn't holding on my arm, but when I looked at her she seemed lost in her own world. I placed my free hand over hers, bringing her eyes up to look at me. She was worried sick, her distress nearly palpable by the way her eyes were glistening.

"I think we've had enough excitement for today," I finally said, reading Emily's silent plea. "Emily's had enough to worry about, so how about we watch a movie or something?"

Her lips quirked into a smile, telling me I'd read right. I winked in return and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Spencer agreed.

Hanna turned to Emily sharply, her finger raised threateningly in the air. "No horror flick. I've had enough stress for a lifetime."

Emily laughed, nodding her head in a promise. "Can you guys stay over? It's getting kind of late and –" She paused, blushing prettily. "I kind of don't wanna be alone tonight."

I could perfectly imagine what she was feeling – barely a week had passed since I'd gone through it myself – so I didn't hesitate in answering, "Of course we'll stay, sweetie." Not that I had any plans of letting her out of my sight tonight. I would've dragged her over to my house if it had come to that. But the other three girls nodded easily, all of us knowing that it was our turn to offer assurance to the girl who always seemed to be there for us.

"You guys should take a shower, though." Hanna suggested.

I raised my eyebrows, the four of us whirling around to look at her incredulously. Had she really just gone there?

"What? You guys are soaked! You must be freezing."

"Uh huh."

Emily chuckled, Hanna, Spencer and Aria already on their way to her bedroom upstairs. I stood up to join them because yes, a shower sounded fabulous right now. But Emily tugged on my hand before I could move towards the stairs.

She was still sitting down, and she was giving me the same, bashful look she did when I first came in. "Thanks, Ali."

I smiled, tilting my head questioningly. "For what?"

"For going after me tonight," she said with a shrug. "And for – being here, I guess."

The way she was looking at me now – her lips curled with the hint of a smile, her brown eyes warm and inviting…_so _inviting – gave me hope that maybe, _just _maybe, she hadn't given up on me yet. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but last time I'd tried she'd pushed me away. So I settled for placing a kiss on her forehead instead.

"That's not even a question." I whispered, letting my lips linger over her skin.

She was smiling when I pulled away, which I took as a good sign. We heard Hanna yell for Emily from upstairs, causing Emily to roll her eyes and finally stand up.

"Come on," she said, pulling me by our joined hands towards the stairs. She pushed me in front of her, breaking our joined hands, but kept her hands on my arms as we climbed up the stairs. I felt her lean in to me from behind before she playfully whispered in my ear, "We can overrule Hanna's bathroom schedule and call first dibs."

I laughed, trying to ignore how the hair on the back of my neck stood on ends when her fingers brushed over my skin as we walked in to her bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! As promised, here's a new Emison-filled update :) I'm already working on the next chapter, but there's a tropical storm expected to hit tomorrow and there's a very good possibility that my power will go out, so if it takes a little longer for me to update then that's why. I'm loving your thoughts and reviews so thank you so much! I never expected to get this much feedback when I started this story. Hope you guys enjoy this! xoxo**

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True to her word, Emily shot down Hanna's so called "perfect shower plan", which included having me in a five minute shower under a two person surveillance. I tried getting her to understand that, as grateful as I was for the gesture, there was _no_ way I was showering with two bodyguards in there with me.

"_I _came in through a window today, so A could crawl in through the freaking sewage pipes for all we know." was her main argument.

And it was just a happy coincidence that her perfect little schedule landed her with the longest shower too. So after many eye rolls, snide remarks and the occasional pillow smacking, Emily got me first dibs in her mom's shower while she claimed her own bathroom. Hanna pretended to be insulted, but I caught her smirking at the two of us while Emily was giving me a new towel and mumbling something to Spencer about making out with Emily herself to "see where that got her", which of course got Spencer to laugh hysterically. I knew she was joking, but the look on her face when I came out of the bathroom after a good, purposely long twenty minute shower was enough for me to have a laugh of my own and bring down the inexplicable jealousy that had simmered in my chest.

Since our night of heroics ended in a completely impromptu sleepover, Emily ended up lending us some of her sleepwear to pass the night while we put our clothes to dry for the morning. She let the other girls pick out what they wanted from her drawers, but when I went to choose my own she pointed nonchalantly at her bed where she'd already set out something for me. With a jolt I realized she'd picked out the same T-Shirt I'd been borrowing from her when I slept over ever since we became friends: her oversized and slightly worn, long sleeved Rosewood High Sharks tee that always _always _smelled like her. I hadn't seen this since shirt since before I'd left town. The last time I slept over we'd been so distracted by A's attack that I hadn't even thought of asking for it.

"Really?" I said playfully, gesturing to the shirt with a wave of my hand. I was vaguely aware of the fact that I was the only one still in my underwear, since the other girls were half way through getting dressed already, but the way Emily's eyes scoured over my body briefly before landing on the garment in my hands made me feel both weirdly self-conscious and highly amused.

She shrugged casually. "I thought you might want it." The comment was made to make me think there was no thought behind the gesture, but either Emily didn't know how to lie to me or I could still read her like an open book – which I knew for a fact was no longer true – because the way she bit her lower lip and smiled coyly was a dead giveaway that she knew exactly what she was doing.

My stomach flipped and I knew I was smiling almost giddily as I slipped on the shirt easily, the fabric just barely reaching my thighs.

Finally, when we were all changed and sufficiently comfortable, we grabbed Emily's pillows and blankets and started dragging them downstairs.

"Dibs on the loveseat!" Hanna yelled as we started setting up in the living room.

Aria snorted, already curling up on said piece of furniture. "In your dreams, Hanna."

I smirked, watching Hanna grudgingly claim the arm chair on the other side of the room as Emily and I settled on opposite sides of the couch.

"So why am I always the one who gets the floor?" Spencer whined, making herself a little makeshift bed with the extra pillows we'd brought down. "I should be able to get dibs on the couch at least _once_."

"Because you're the only one who has a back who can tolerate it." Hanna replied easily.

"More like you're the only one who doesn't complain about it," Emily corrected with a chuckle, getting up to put the movie in. "And besides, owner of the house gets dibs on the couch."

No one cared to mention that Emily always let me share the couch with her, but for once I was glad it wasn't brought up. Whether they did it consciously or not anymore, tonight I was relieved that they'd left me with Emily. This whole episode was giving me a weird sense of separation anxiety where I just _needed_ to feel her close to me to make sure she was alright.

Emily popped the DVD in quickly and slipped back under the mound of blankets we had spread over the couch. We sat in identical positions: our backs resting against our pillows propped up against each arm of the couch with our knees bent and our feet set firmly on the cushions.

"What're we watching?" Aria asked.

"John Tucker Must Die, per Hanna's request." Emily replied with a roll of her eyes.

Spencer groaned, chucking one of her pillows at Hanna's face. "We've watched this like fifty times."

Hanna shrugged with a smug smile, taking the pillow Spencer had thrown and hugging it to her chest possessively.

Emily shifted under the covers and her toes brushed mine, sending a jolt of electricity through my feet. We both jumped at the contact and turned to each other with wide eyes, causing the girls to give us strange looks.

"Static electricity," I lied with a chuckle, feeling my pulse quicken when my foot brushed against her ankle again.

"Stupid sheets," Hanna mumbled quietly, rolling her eyes as she turned her attention back to the television.

I locked eyes with Emily and winked, glad to see her blush. The movie started playing, but I could barely concentrate with every brush of Emily's feet against mine under the blankets. What started out as accidental touches every few minutes turned into a full on game of footsie just barely fifteen minutes into the movie. I tried to camouflage my movements as best as I could under the circumstances to keep up my charade of "watching" the movie, but every so often I took a peek at Emily's face. She seemed completely at ease, but if you knew her enough you'd notice how her eyes were unfocused and she'd trapped her bottom lip in between her teeth in concentration as her feet tried to overpower mine. She looked so adorable I had to pull our blanket up to muffle my giggle, which caught her attention. She made a face and shoved my leg with her foot, biting back her own laugh.

It had been _so _long since I'd been this care free with Emily, so to speak. Something about her today was just letting her be sweet and silly with me again – probably the elation that came with knowing that her parents were alive and safe, I guessed. Her happiness was contagious, and combined with my own delight at having her safe and here with me, I was suddenly brave enough to do what I'd been dying to do most of the night. I trapped her foot between both of mine, and met her surprised smile with a playful smirk of my own. I offered my hand out to her, making her brow furrow as she grabbed it hesitantly.

"C'mere." I murmured, tugging on her arm until she finally started crawling towards me.

Hanna twisted in her seat at the sound of our blanket rustling with Emily's movement, her eyebrows rising in amusement as Emily settled her head on my chest. I tensed when I caught her gaze, making sure to send her a glare saying what I knew I couldn't say out loud.

_Say something to ruin this and I'll kill you. _

The blonde sniggered quietly, raising her hands up innocently before looking away. I sighed and looked down at Emily who had finally settled in a comfortable position: half her body was lying over mine, one arm wrapped over my stomach while her head rested in the crook of my shoulder. I kissed her temple softly and wrapped my arms around her, hoping that she couldn't feel my pulse accelerate when she snuggled in to me.

"Where did this come from?" she asked quietly, glancing up at me both in surprise and confusion.

The fact that she seemed so surprised by the attention I was giving her only told me that she had probably doubted everything I'd confessed to her the night we had kissed last week. Guilt was the perfect description for the feeling that was threatening to overwhelm my very being. I had been so horrible to her that she still couldn't find any truth in my words after everything I'd said and done in the last few weeks. She still didn't understand that she was the only purely good thing in my life right now, something I'd do anything and everything to preserve. Still…that wasn't a conversation I felt comfortable having right now, knowing I'd have to say things that had only seen the light of day in the journals I'd kept so secretly hidden in my room.

I smirked, hoping it would distract her enough to blow the issue off for now. "Like you're not enjoying this."

I had to give it to her, even through her blush she managed to give me a convincing roll of her eyes. "Ali, seriously." The old Emily would have become a nervous wreck and would have let the subject drop so I wouldn't let go of her. Not this one. This new Emily wasn't afraid to match my stare challengingly and insist on what she wanted. I had to admit it was pretty hot.

My smile faded as I saw that she wasn't backing down. I wasn't getting out of this. Even without looking I knew the other girls were listening in, if not watching, for what I would do next, and again I felt like this was another make or break moment. If I said the wrong thing I could lose their trust for good.

My eyes chose to focus on a lock of her hair that dangled over her eyes, which I quickly curled behind her ear to give myself something to do. "You really scared me today, Em." I admitted, cursing inwardly when my voice broke.

Her expression changed from confusion to realization to surprise so quickly I wasn't sure if I'd seen it or imagined it. Either I'd said the complete opposite of what she was expecting, or she hadn't really expected me to say what was on my mind. I had a strong hunch it was the latter, and I had to say I was both pleased and slightly annoyed that I kept surprising them with the truth. Her eyes flickered to the girls – she knew they were listening too – before coming back to meet mine.

"Ali –" Emily breathed, seemingly speechless.

Her eyes dropped down to my lips for a fraction of a second and my heart skipped a beat. I knew that look: it was the same look she'd given me right before she'd kissed me the night before Toby's house was blown up − the same look she'd given me every single time we had kissed in the past. Her brown eyes darkened, her lips were just slightly parted and her gaze kept flickering between my eyes and my lips. Would she really kiss me in front of the other girls?

I barely had time to finish that thought before I realized her lips were on mine.

Needless to say, she made me lose all train of thought and concept of time. I had no clue whether the kiss lasted for a second or for an hour. One of her hands was cradling my jaw, and her lips were so soft and plump and _God, _had they always been like this? She barely even gave me time to respond. By the time I'd gathered my bearings and curled my fingers in her hair, she was already breaking the kiss.

My heart was racing and I was pretty sure she could feel it now. I could feel my mouth gaping at her, but I didn't know what to say. I was terrified I would say or do the wrong thing and send her running for the hills. Last time it had been easier. We'd kissed, fallen asleep and woken up to pretend nothing had ever happened. But now? There was no running now.

Emily chuckled. She was still so close I could feel her warm breath fanning over my lips. "Why so surprised, Alison?" she asked teasingly, running her thumb over my bottom lip.

One of the other girls muffled a snicker, and face snapped around immediately in a glare as soon as the noise reached my ears. For a moment I relaxed, thinking whoever had laughed had done so because of the movie. But then Spencer glanced my way and smirked knowingly. Red hot anger flared up in my chest before I could even recognize what I was feeling. They had absolutely _no_ reason to be intruding on us. We were in the same room, fine; but the least they could do was have the decency to pretend they weren't listening! I clenched my fist tightly around my blanket, getting ready to lash out the rant of a lifetime, but a warm hand on my cheek shattered my train of thought.

"Hey, hey, Ali. Look at me." Emily murmured gently, bringing my gaze back to hers.

One look at her eyes and I felt my anger deflate out of me, making me sigh. She was sitting up now, her brow scrunched up in a small frown while she stroked her fingers over my cheek. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes traveling back to the three girls seemingly engrossed in the movie, before she grasped my hand and pulled me to my feet. "Come on."

I finally found my voice as she started dragging me up the stairs. "Where are we going?"

Emily pulled me into her bedroom and quietly closed the door behind us.

"We need to talk."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! Sorry about the little delay, the storm knocked my cable out so I lost my internet for the weekend but I'm back! Thanks to those of you who kept me in your thoughts! Everything turned out fine after the storm passed, it only left a little water we were desperately in need of anyways. It gave me some time to write up a longer chapter for you, so I hope you guys enjoy! I have maybe one or two more chapters planned out for this story that are basically fluff, so I might just post them as another story, I haven't decided yet. And I have another idea planned out for a new story, not quite as exciting as this one but Emison fans should enjoy it nonetheless. Please leave your thoughts and comments as you read, I love reading them and it helps me write faster! Enjoy! xoxo **

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Sighing as she turned to face me, Emily could barely meet my gaze as she fidgeted on the spot, her nerves practically bounding off of her in waves. I tried not to giggle while I watched her, but the smile spread across my lips before I could stop myself. She was an enigma alright: she had just kissed me downstairs and dragged me up here, but now she couldn't even find the courage to look at me. As she leaned against the door, all I could think about was how freaking _gorgeous_ she was. Her T-shirt just reached her thighs, barely covering the short shorts that showed off her long legs. Her face, the epitome of beauty, reflected the internal conflict she was probably battling in that attractive head of hers.

"Em?" I prodded, hesitantly stepping closer to her. I didn't want to push her into saying anything before she was ready, but at the same time I wanted her to know that I was willing to listen to whatever she wanted to say. My hand reached out on its own accord and teasingly brushed against her fingers. "What is it?"

As our fingers intertwined, she bit down on her lower lip so hard I was afraid she'd draw blood. I hated that she was so conflicted because of me. But whatever battle she'd been fighting internally was apparently resolved quickly as I felt her mood change. Her eyes were set in determination when she suddenly yanked me by the hand to close the distance between us, our teeth nearly clashing together as our lips met in a bruising kiss. It took me a moment to respond, since again I found myself completely startled by her boldness. Yet this woman was _kissing _me, and I wasn't about to let this opportunity slide without showing her exactly what she did to me.

I grabbed her by the waist and pushed her back firmly against the door with a soft thud, letting her pull our bodies flush against each other as she wrapped her arms around my neck. My fingers splayed under her shirt, letting my nails scrape softly up and down her sides as Emily started deepening the kiss. She nipped at my bottom lip, making me part my lips instinctively and my knees almost gave out when I felt her tongue exploring my mouth with a confidence that had _definitely _not been there last time.

This kiss was different. Every kiss before this had been leaden with hesitation and doubt, on both of our parts. They'd been soft and timid and gentle while we were still testing each other's waters and don't get me wrong because it was absolutely amazing, but _this _− this was dripping with need and passion and…and an urgency for her to understand that I wanted this more than anything in the world. And when she trailed her hands to my waist and spun us around sharply to pin me against the door, I began to think it was her way of telling me that she wanted this too.

She had the entire length of her body pressed against me so tightly I could feel her heart racing against her chest just as quickly as mine. I slid my hands into her brown tresses, holding her in place just as she did something completely incredible with her tongue in my mouth that had me literally clawing at her back to keep my legs from turning into jelly. Then she slid one of her legs in between mine and her thigh was pressing so deliciously against my already aching center that I lost it. The groan that emanated from the back of my throat sounded so carnal and purely _sexual_ even to my own ears that I blushed, feeling her lips curl into a haughty smile against mine.

"Shut up," I mumbled, nipping harshly at her bottom lip to wipe the grin off her face. That only made her chuckle breathily into the kiss and push harder into me.

After what literally felt like forever, I untangled my hands from her hair and slowly ran them down her back to her waist as our heated make-out waned to chaste brushes against each other's lips. Emily's hands came up to cradle my face, and finally she broke the kiss with a sigh. My chest heaved for fresh oxygen as my forehead rested against hers. She was panting against my mouth, her thumbs running over my cheekbones in feather light strokes that sent chills down my spine. I curled my arms around her waist and smiled when I felt her shudder.

"You didn't bring me up here for this, Em." I whispered with a brush of my nose against hers, because as much as I enjoyed kissing her – I swear when I say she was probably the best kisser _ever_ – I knew she wanted to talk. We hadto.

Her eyes were still closed, but her lips quirked into a smile. "Are you complaining?"

I smirked, tilting her chin upwards with my index finger so our lips would meet. "You know I'm not."

Emily laughed and kissed me once more before finally looking at me. The tenderness in her eyes as she brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear made a rush of warmth fill my chest. No one had _ever_ looked at me like she did.

"I figured if I was brave enough to do that, I'd be able to say what I want to say."

I frowned. I had a vague idea of where she was going, but I didn't think she'd be that nervous to talk about us. If anything I thought she'd be eager to get it out of the way. It was way past time we acknowledged the elephant in the room. "You can tell me anything, Em." I said with what I hoped was a reassuring squeeze.

We locked gazes, and the conflict swimming in her brown eyes made my heart clench painfully. It hurt to know that they – no, that _she – _still had trouble trusting me, that I was probably the heart and soul of every single trust issue she'd developed over the years. Yet that thought only steeled my resolve when it came to winning them back. Alison Dilaurentis was not one to give up on what she wanted, and I'd decided long ago that I wouldn't give up until I had their trust back – until I had Emily's trust back.

Emily stepped back until her thighs hit her mattress and she sunk down at the edge of her bed, busying herself by picking absently at her comforter. I felt a sudden coldness sweep over me at having her warm body so far away, but I kept my distance knowing it would make it easier for her to speak.

"Aria told us," she confessed shyly. "What happened when you were in the car with her."

"_Oh_." I wasn't expecting that. Aria must have taken advantage of my extra long shower to bring the girls up to date with my emotional breakthroughs. I should have expected Aria to tell them, of course, but I'd been so focused on Emily I hadn't even thought about it.

"Are you mad?"

Did I have any reason to be? The old me would've instantly been pissed at Aria's impudence, but thankfully I was smarter now. I knew that – as long as I didn't put my foot in my mouth – Aria had probably just done me a _huge_ favor. And Emily looked so hopeful right now I couldn't even bring myself to be upset. The look on her face reminded me of how things used to be between us, of how she'd bare her heart to me whenever I indulged our secret romances: she was giving me complete control over her heart. That used to make me feel powerful, but now it just scared the life out of me.

I stepped towards her, close enough to run my fingers across her cheek. I'd learned by now that with Emily, actions were louder than words. "No. I'm not mad."

Her shoulders slumping with relief as she smiled softly. "Good." She started wringing and twisting her hands nervously in her lap, silently telling me she wasn't done with this. Whatever this was, it was eating away at her and I wanted more than anything to make her comfortable with me. I started brushing my hand through her fringe, hoping it would soothe her. "So…it's true then? You were crying?"

My fingers froze momentarily in her hair as heat crept up my neck. "Like I said, Em. You really scared me." I murmured, forcing myself to be brutally honest. I ran my hand through her hair once more before retrieving my touch. "You can't understand how happy I was to know you were okay."

A rueful smile adorned her face as she raised a challenging eyebrow. "Can't I?"

_Oh_, that one struck a nerve. Emily was smiling, because she knew I was beginning to understand what she had gone through. Yet I couldn't even _begin_ to wrap my head around it: I was a mess after she'd been gone for three hours, while I'd come back from the freaking dead after two years. I'd put this girl through _hell_ only to come back hoping everything would just fall back into place because she wanted me here. Only it was so much more complicated. God, I was the definition of a douche.

Emily bit down on her lower lip in hesitance, and I quickly decided that was one of the sexiest things I'd ever seen. "So you meant what you said then. When Aria asked if you cared about me."

It was more of a statement than a question, but I knew she was asking me to tell her to her face. I didn't know how to even begin explaining myself. Saying it to Aria was one thing, but saying it to her while she was looking at me with her eyes just drowning in hope and faith – faith in _me_, I realized – was more than anyone had ever asked of me. Yet her eyes were telling me that she wanted to believe me and that she _would_, unless I gave her a reason not to. And if she was willing to bare herself like this after everything I'd done to her, I had to be brave enough to meet her halfway.

Something inside of me took over and told me what to do to the point where it almost felt like an out of body experience as I closed the distance between us and cradled her face in my hands. Her legs spread apart to let me stand in between them while I made sure to look her straight in the eyes, giving her no room for doubt.

"Everything I've ever said about you is the absolute truth," I replied, hoping she would understand that I meant _everything_, including what I'd told her in my bedroom the night we kissed. "You mean everything to me."

She did a good job in keeping a straight face, but her eyes lit up in a way that told me I'd said exactly what she'd wanted to hear. Her hand curled around one of my wrists, keeping my hand in place against her cheek. "Aria believes you, you know. She really thinks you're being sincere. She wants me give you a chance."

I owed that girl my _life_, no question. "That's up to you, Em, I can't force you to believe me. I know I haven't exactly made it easy." I said with a sigh, stroking her cheeks softly.

"I want to," she whispered, and my stomach flipped. Yet I sensed a "but" coming my way. Emily dropped her gaze, her voice lowering so much I had to lean in further to catch what she was saying. "I want to so much, Ali − but I have to know you want this too. I can't go back to how things were before. I'm not that person anymore."

"I want this," I assured, tilting her head so she'd look at me. And I meant it – I'd never wanted anything more in my entire life. "You, this – whatever this is – is the only good thing in my life right now." The sight of her fighting back a smile urged me to go on, my heart starting to race as her fingers fluttered over my wrist. "I know I've messed up. Hell – I've been living with my foot in my mouth since I got here." I tried stepping away because I knew the look on her face would make me chicken out from saying what I wanted to. But her hold on my wrist tightened, her message clear. I wasn't running from this, not this time. "I've been lying for _so _long. It always felt like the better option, especially once A came into the picture. I preferred to lie and keep you girls out of it than have you go through the same torture." I laughed bitterly, my eyes shooting at the ceiling to glare at the irony of it all. "A lot of good that did, I know. I was too proud to ask for help, so lying turned into my own way protecting myself – from A, from everything. From _you_."

I paused, weighing my words carefully. Her eyes hadn't left me since I'd started speaking. "I can't promise I won't mess up again. I'm still scared, and _this_," I dropped one of my hands to gesture between the two of us. "scares me more than you can imagine."

"You don't have to be scared of this," Emily murmured with a frown, her head tilted in confusion.

I chuckled, pinching her cheek softly with the hand she refused to let drop from her face. "Yeah, I do. You're so brave, Em. You're fearless when it comes to things like this. I don't − I've never −" _Damn it_. I sighed, my eyes shutting closed in frustration. There was no easy way to say this. "I'm no good at this." My throat tightened, imminent tears burning at the back of my eyes. "I never have been."

"Ali −"

"I can't promise I won't mess up," I repeated in a rush. Somehow I'd found a source of confidence that was running too low for me to waste any more time. "But I _can_ promise that I'll be trying as _hard_ as I fucking can not to. I'm trying to be the person you've always seen in me."

Emily stood up suddenly, gripping both of my wrists now as my eyes flew open in surprise. Her eyes were earnest, pleading. "That's all I want, Alison. For you to try."

My eyes closed when I felt the first tear slip down my cheek, scrambling internally for any semblance of control I could muster. "I _am _trying." I said hoarsely. "So please, just – don't give up on me yet."

I let my hands drop to my sides when Emily released her grip on my wrists, only to have her hands cup my face, her warm palms wiping the tears trailing down my cheeks. "Ali, look at me." she murmured sternly.

It took me a moment to look at her while I was hoping I could keep my tears at bay, but they inevitably tumbled brutally when my eyelids fluttered open. She was so close I could feel her sweet breath wafting over my face. The word she whispered fiercely as she rested her forehead against mine officially became my favorite word _ever_.

"Never."

I felt like my face was about to split in two with the huge smile that spread across my lips. No one had ever looked at me like she was looking at me right now, like I was the most precious thing in the world. Emily smiled in return, a full blown smile that showed off her pearly white teeth and caused her cheeks to crease into dimples at the corners of her mouth.

"I know you're not the same person you were before," I said, wrapping my arms around her waist. "And I'm _so _glad." Thinking back, she used to be so shy and quiet before, this would have never worked out between us. I would've had all the power in the relationship, and as much as I used to like that, stringing Emily along would have gotten old really fast. Knowing myself back then, I would've probably been too much for her. However, now we could say we were equals. We could protect and compliment each other in ways neither of us could have before.

Emily giggled softly and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face into my shoulder as I did the same into her neck. I dropped a kiss on the hollow of her throat and trailed soft kisses upwards, curling my fingers into her hair and gently pulling her back so I could flutter my lips over her jaw and across her cheek, up to her forehead. My lips crossed over her bandage and I froze, the events of tonight flashing back to me with a pang of fear. She'd been in so much danger tonight.

She probably sensed something was wrong because she frowned and reached up to stroke my cheek. "What is it?"

"Why did you run today, Em?" I asked gently, out of genuine curiosity. It was so out of character for her, I couldn't help but wonder.

Emily sighed, disentangling herself from my arms and flopping down at the edge of her bed. I instantly missed her touch but stayed back, sensing that she needed her space for this.

"I don't know. There's been so much going on lately, what with Mona and A and you getting attacked. Then I see the news about Fort Hood and I just," She rubbed her hands over her face roughly, suddenly looking weary and tired. "I'm so tired of everything going wrong. And then I get a text from A _about_ the explosion." Emily paused, and I understood that the text had been her last straw, much like A threatening her had been mine. "I just couldn't handle it anymore. I needed to get away from everything, you know?"

I snorted a chuckle to myself. "Oh, do I." I'd spent half of my life running away whenever things became too much to handle. It was always easier to run from the storm than to stay and wait for the clouds to part. Dropping down to my knees in front of her, I grabbed her hands and held them tightly in her lap. "Do you remember what you told me when we came back to Rosewood after New York?" Her brow furrowed and she remained quiet, so I continued. "You told me that I didn't have to run anymore because we were together, and together we'd be able to face anything."

"In my defense, I thought A was dead when I said that," Emily said with a cynical smile. "I thought the worst we could face was Holbrook's third degree."

Smiling, I pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "I know, sweetie. But it doesn't make it any less true. None of us have to run anymore. We're in this together, Emily, and we're a lot stronger together."

Emily smiled, genuinely this time. "I know. I won't run away again, I promise."

I pushed myself to my feet and bent down to meet our lips in a chaste kiss, my hand running over her hair. "Good. I don't think I could handle going through this again."

The brunette smirked, sending butterflies straight through to my stomach. "Are you going soft on me, Alison?"

I scoffed and rolled my eyes playfully, loving how we could turn from serious and emotional to teasing and flirtatious in a matter of seconds. Years ago I would've felt threatened by such a remark, but not anymore. Now I just wanted to show her how wrong she was. Smirking, I shoved her shoulder gently, pushing her back enough so I could climb over her with my legs straddling her hips and my arms wrapped around her neck.

"You tell me."

Her lips curled into a cheeky grin. She wrapped her arms around my waist and yanked me down, forcing our lips to meet. I immediately coaxed her lips open with my tongue and deepened the kiss, taking pleasure in the soft moan she released as we explored each other's mouths. Her hands were roaming my back, pushing me tightly against her. My hands dove into her hair and she shuddered, making me grin against her mouth before tugging at her bottom lip with my teeth. She swept her tongue along my mouth as her hands trailed along my naked thighs until she slipped them under my shirt – well, her shirt – and splayed her fingers against my bare stomach. Her touch sent chills running down my spine and goose-bumps erupted all over my body. I pulled her lips harder against mine while I started leaning forward, trying to push her down against her mattress. But she slipped her hands back onto my waist over my shirt and broke the kiss with a sigh.

"As much as I'm loving this," she whispered, her lips brushing against the shell of my ear. A deep shudder ran through me, making me bite back a groan. My chest was heaving, my heart thudding so hard against my ribs I could feel my pulse in my ears. "I know for a fact Hanna should be about three minutes away from coming up here to get us."

I sighed dramatically, burying my face into her neck. She smelled so good, like strawberries and cinnamon. Emily giggled into my shoulder, thrumming my fingers against the small of my back. I smirked as a more plausible idea crossed my mind.

"Honey, how much do you want to bet that the three of them have been listening at the door since we came up here?"

"Oh, no doubt about it." Emily snickered. "But whatever patience that's been keeping them out of this room is about to run out."

I nodded and reluctantly climbed off of her, knowing she was right. The last thing I wanted was for them to burst in on us like this because I was sure I'd probably kill them. I loved them, but some things were meant to stay private. When we were both comfortably presentable, Emily offered me her hand and we laced our fingers before heading back down. By the quiet shuffling we heard as we climbed down the stairs, I knew they had in fact been listening all along, but I couldn't bring myself to be mad. They had every right to be concerned for Emily's sake, and besides – I was way too happy with how Emily was playing with my fingers to really bother thinking about that.

Once in the living room, the girls did a pretty convincing attempt at pretending they hadn't moved since we'd been gone, but we knew better.

"Well, look who's back," Aria teased.

"You two weren't doing it up there, were you?" Hanna asked bluntly, her eyes narrowed accusingly. Apparently they'd helped themselves to Emily's pantry, because the blonde was munching on a bowl of popcorn while Aria and Spencer chomping on their own little pile in their lap.

I rolled my eyes, sharing a smile with Emily as Spencer threw a pillow at Hanna's head.

"Don't act like you guys didn't hear everything we talked about."

Hanna shrugged innocently, turning her attention back to the movie. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Emily scoffed beside me as we settled back on the couch in the same position as before, with her head on my chest and my arms wrapped around her, our legs intertwined.

"So what did we miss?" Emily asked.

"Heather just put estrogen into John's protein shake," Spencer answered plainly, earning a giggle from the girl on my chest.

I smiled, pressing a loving kiss to Emily's forehead. We spent a couple of minutes in silence just watching the TV, but I chose to busy myself by playing with Emily's hair instead, loving how she moaned softly and snuggled into me. As I looked back at the screen, I caught Aria watching us with a soft smile. We locked gazes, and I felt compelled to mouth a silent _thank you_.

Her smile widened and she shook her head, her eyes flickering quickly between Emily and me. I knew what she meant: Emily's happiness was thanks enough.

"So are you two like – together now?" Spencer asked.

Glancing down at Emily in question, I found her already peering up at me with a smile. I nodded, letting her answer the question while I pressed a kiss to her temple.

"You could say that," was all she said, her hand tracing patterns over my thigh under the blankets.

I giggled into her hair for no good reason, earning a groan from all three girls watching us.

"They are so going to be one of _those_ couples," Spencer groaned.

"As long as they hold back on the PDA, I'm good." Hanna alleged firmly. "I love you Emily, but there's only so much my gaydar can take."

Emily rolled her eyes playfully while I laughed, purposely planting a long kiss on Emily's cheek.

"Shut up, Hanna."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys!  
Sorry it took so long for this update. I'm in the process of packing up because I'll be moving soon so I've been pretty busy these past few days. This chapter is relatively short compared to the others but I wanted to give you something before I got into the next little part I have planned. Please keep reading and reviewing, I love to see what you guys think! Enjoy! xoxo**

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Late into the following morning, Aria, Spencer and Hanna were the first to rouse from their sleep. As they each realized they were not the only ones awake and sat up to face each other, they caught sight of the blonde and brunette cuddled up happily in peaceful slumber. Aria and Spencer smiled despite themselves as Hanna smirked, already imagining the relentless teasing Emily would have to endure from her. The poor girl wouldn't know what hit her.

"I hate to say this," Spencer said through a yawn, arms stretching above her head as her eyes raked over the mess of limbs on the couch. "But they actually look pretty cute together."

Aria smiled, noticing how Ali had one hand loosely laced with Emily's on her stomach while the other cradled the back of the swimmer's head almost possessively. "They do, don't they?"

They had all known about Emily's emotional struggles now that Alison was back – it was clear that the swimmer had never had the chance to fully get over their friend, yet with Ali's constant secrets, they had all been extremely nervous of Emily exploring her feelings for her. But after seeing Alison's behavior in her car, Aria had encouraged the swimmer to give the blonde a chance, because Aria had never seen Alison cry for anyone but herself, and the girl she had seen shedding tears of relief and happiness was definitely not the same Alison Dilaurentis they had all been afraid of.

Hanna sighed, her internal turmoil clearly reflected in the wary gaze she gave the sleeping couple. "I don't know, it's _Alison_. It's kind of weird, don't you think?" When Aria had come to them with claims that Alison had changed, Hanna had been the first to call out bullshit. To be honest, she didn't want Emily anywhere near that blonde. She'd seen what Alison was capable of – she'd been a victim of it herself – and she wasn't about to let her best friend subject herself to what could probably be the worst heartbreak she would ever endure just because Alison had sharpened up her acting skills while she was away. Yet Aria had stressed the issue with such a conviction that they'd had no choice but to agree to give Ali the benefit of the doubt. But that wouldn't stop Hanna from keeping a watchful eye and threatening Ali within an inch of her life if she dared betray Emily's trust.

"Emily's happy," Spencer replied with a casual shrug. Sure, she was just as concerned about this relationship as the other girls, if not more. But knowing Emily as well as she did, she knew this was a chance the swimmer needed to take. Worse comes to worst, Spencer would be the first to put Ali back in her place. "And for now, that's all that really matters."

Hanna continued to stare at her sleeping friends, biting the inside of her cheek as she pondered over what Spencer said. "Yeah, I guess." It was still relatively new for all of them, and hopefully the new couple would take things slow, but this new development was something that would definitely take some getting used to.

"Besides," Spencer added with a smirk. "Think of how much fun it'll be when Pam finds out about this."

Aria laughed. "Oh God, let's not go there just yet."

"I so wanna be there when that happens," Hanna said, grinning wickedly.

Aria rolled her eyes with an amused smile as she pushed herself to her feet and stretched. "Come on, let's go eat. I'm starved."

"Yeah, me too." Spencer agreed as she got to her feet. She glanced back at the two slumbering girls who had yet to stir. "Should we wake them?"

"Nah, let them sleep." the shorter girl replied. "They had a rough day yesterday."

Hanna scoffed. "Besides," She shoved Spencer's shoulder playfully. "With the amount of noise you make in the kitchen, they'll be up in a few minutes anyways."

Spencer began to retort in her own defense as Aria pushed both her and Hanna out of the room, laughing heartily.

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A loud clang woke me with a jolt, my heart pounding as my eyes scanned my surroundings in alarm, momentarily disoriented. The blankets and pillows strewn all over the furniture plus the weight of someone's head on my chest brought me back to reality.

_Right_, _Emily's living room._

I heard laughing coming from the kitchen, followed by several more clatters, slightly quieter than the one that had woken me. The girls were gone, so they had to be the cause of the current chaos rampaging in the other room – probably their attempt at making breakfast. Though it sounded like an attempt at waking the entire freaking block.

"Whasgoinon?" Emily mumbled drowsily.

Memories of last night flashed before me as the weight on my chest shifted, making me smile. Emily lifted her head and glanced around in a confused and absolutely adorable haze, her eyes lidded with sleep. I brushed a few strands of her hair out of her face, smirking when she looked up at me quickly, as if only just realizing I was there.

"Good morning, pretty lady." I teased.

"Mmmm," She moaned groggily, dropping her head back on my chest with a smile as her arm curled tightly over my stomach. "Where are the girls?"

"Probably destroying your kitchen."

Emily groaned. "Please tell me Spencer isn't cooking."

A loud crash reverberated from the kitchen, sounding distinctly like pots and pans banging against the hardwood floor, and was immediately followed by a string of curses drowned out by someone else's laughter. Emily muffled a mock sob against my chest, making me giggle.

"You're adorable." I whispered before kissing the top of her head.

She tried covering her blush by nuzzling her face into my neck. I cupped her face in my palm and ran my thumb over her rosy cheek, softly pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

"Should we go save your kitchen?"

Emily scrunched up her nose, making a face that told me she had something else in mind. With a smirk, she was suddenly pushing herself up and hovering over me, her eyes dancing with pure mischief. The look on her face made my stomach flip.

"They seem to be pretty busy over there," she murmured, her face close enough to have our noses brush against each other's. "So…I had something else in mind. You know," My eyes fluttered when her teeth grazed my earlobe, pressing her weight deliciously against me as she leaned down. "If you're interested."

Jesus Christ, this girl would be the death of me. My hands found their way to her hips, instantly slipping under her shirt to grasp at her warm flesh. My chest was already heaving at the feeling of her lips ghosting over my jaw, desire pooling in my stomach. "I might be interested," I breathed, tilting my head to try and meet our lips.

"That doesn't sound very convincing," she whispered as she captured my lower lip between her teeth and tugged. _God_, was she talented with that mouth of hers.

I groaned softly, trailing my hands up to her shoulder blades under her shirt and pulling her against me. "Just shut up and kiss me."

She chuckled breathily right before planting her lips against mine, giving me no time to scold her mocking, but once her tongue was in my mouth I couldn't bring myself to care. We kept it relatively chaste, knowing any one of the girls could come in at any given moment. Our lips moved in perfect synch, melded together so closely I could feel her eyelashes fluttering against my cheek. I felt her warm breath in my mouth as she sighed almost wistfully, and by the way she momentarily kissed me harder and gave a firm swipe of her tongue against mine I could tell what she was thinking. This felt _so_ right, as easy as breathing. It wouldn't always be this way, of course – we hadn't even left the house yet. But being with her like this gave me hope that everything else would eventually fall into place.

"Hanna, is that on _fire_?!"

My eyes snapped open to meet her equally wide ones, our lips still attached. It took a moment for the word 'fire' to actually register in our brains before Emily yanked herself off me in a flash, scrambling to untangle herself from our mess of blankets as I tried to help her off the couch. After Toby's place, the _last _thing we needed in this neighborhood was another freaking fire.

"Go! Go!" I urged, already on my feet. I pushed her in front of me as we clambered over the pillows around our feet and sprinted towards the kitchen.

"What's happening?" Emily asked frantically when we ran in.

There was a thin layer of smoke curling in the air around us, and Hanna was scraping something off the pan into the trash can, but otherwise the rest of the kitchen seemed intact. Five plates were already set on the table, a decent sized set of pancakes placed in the center with a pitcher of juice at its side. It actually looked pretty good, much to my surprise. Aria was placing silverware beside each plate, watching everything from afar with amusement.

"Whoa, easy there Em." Spencer chuckled. She rolled her eyes as Hanna passed her the newly cleaned frying pan. "I leave Hanna alone to watch the stove for five minutes and she turns the thing into charcoal. You know how King Midas touches things and turns them into gold? Well here's Queen Hanna, food destroyer."

I muffled my laugh against the back of Emily's shoulder, feeling her shake with her own giggles.

"Hey, it's not my fault that pancake turned into a freaking flame thrower." Hanna countered. "You left at your own risk, you know I suck at cooking."

"Yeah, because you have the attention span of a squirrel."

Mornings like this could almost make me think we were normal teenagers without a psychopath trying to kill us, and to some degree it made me happy that they convinced me to come back. I wrapped my arms around Emily's waist from behind, perching my chin on her shoulder.

"Weren't you two sleeping?" Aria asked as she took her seat at the table.

"We heard fire and we freaked out," I explained.

"Plus it sounded like you guys turned my mom's pots into a drum set," Emily added, and I could practically hear her roll her eyes.

"So we didn't interrupt anything, did we?" Hanna smirked, while shoving Spencer playfully as Spencer was about to retort on Emily's comment.

I felt Emily shake her head as she moved out of my arms to slap Hanna's arm. "You are so sick, you know that?"

Hanna scoffed playfully, shoving Emily back. "Yeah, because you're a prude."

I laughed at that, pinching Emily's side teasingly because really – this girl was anything but a prude. Spencer and I watched in amusement as Hanna and Emily continued to bicker until Aria came over and shoved the both of them on her way to the refrigerator. "Alright, quit it. Let's eat."

The girls got all mixed up in the flurry of grabbing napkins and extra glasses, so no one noticed when I slid up to Emily where she sat, already munching on her breakfast, and trailed a hand down her hair. I let my lips brush over the shell of her ear and whispered, "Baby, you are _so_ not a prude."

I couldn't tell if it was surprise or laughter that made her choke on her food, but the blush that quickly heated her face had me laughing _hard_. I wagged my eyebrows suggestively when she looked up at me, her face a mixture of annoyed contentment. I could tell she was trying hard not to laugh, so I planted my lips hard against hers for just a second, which broke her resolve and had her giggling into my mouth.

"Shut up, Ali."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys! **

**Here's an extra long chapter to make up for the long wait :) I'm still in the process of packing up and moving, and this time I REALLY don't know when I'll get the chance to post again, so I hope this will be enough to hold you guys until then. This is pure fluff, which I thought we needed after these last few episodes, but next chapter should be a little more dramatic. **

**On a new note, I've already mentioned that I have this idea for a new Emison story, but I'm having trouble deciding on how I should write it. Do you guys enjoy having Alison's point of view or would you like me to give a 3rd person POV a try? Last chapter had a little scene where I switched to third person if you guys want to see sort of what it would be like. Leave your comments and reviews and let me know what you would prefer! **

**Anywhoo, I hope you guys like this new chapter! I'll try to update as soon as I can but again, things are really going to pick up with my move now so I have no idea when that will be. **

**Enjoy! xoxo**

* * *

It took about an hour after we finished eating, but I was finally left alone with Emily. Aria left to go home and change for her volunteer shift at Radley right after breakfast, Spencer having grilled her on finding information about Bethany Young while we'd been eating. I'd actually been hoping for her to be the last one to leave so I could thank her properly without an audience. She'd done more for me yesterday than I could probably ever repay her for.

After a while we watched Hanna leave for the Brew in a bit of a rush, but she refused to say whether or not she was meeting anyone there. Caleb came to all of our minds, of course, but none of us were brave enough to ask her. Hanna had been so testy about that particular subject lately she would bite our heads off if anyone so much as breathed a word about her Ravenswood-bound ex – assuming they were still exes to begin with. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who noticed how Travis just suddenly dropped off radar barely a week after Caleb rolled his way into town.

Finally, Spencer went home with some lame excuse about having an AP European History essay she had supposedly forgotten to finish. It kind of took me by surprise, considering I would've bet money on her interrogating our relationship before the end of the day, but nevertheless I was grateful for the thought behind it. She did give me a _This isn't over _look as she was leaving, however, so I knew she was merely postponing the inevitable.

That left me and Emily to settle on the couch with a stack of movies ready to be binge-watched for the rest of the day. Naturally half of them were horror movies, which was ironically comforting. Horror had always been her favorite genre, and it was nice to see that even though she'd had her share of changes, parts of her deep down were still the same Emily I knew and loved from two years ago.

I remember sitting through horror movie marathons with her on those rare sleepovers where it was just the two of us, acting as if they were the stupidest movies I'd ever seen while she clung to me in fear and anticipation, when in reality I was screaming like a banshee on the inside through every single minute of them. I never told her I actually hated horror films − I'd teased the other girls when they refused to watch any of Emily's favorites whenever we were together, so admitting to my own fear even just to Emily would have been a pride-swallowing step the old Alison Dilaurentis would never have stood for. Plus, whenever she asked me if we could watch one of her movies she'd look at me so hopefully I'd never have the heart to tell her. Besides, as I thought back on it now while she curled up against me, I really did used to enjoy her nearly curling up in my lap whenever we chose a particularly scary one to watch. That was the _only _thing I enjoyed about it all.

I was too caught up in my own thoughts to realize the movie had become suspiciously devoid of music. So when the demon yanked the teenage girl by the ankles to some scarily acute background tune, I nearly jumped out of my own skin and grasped Emily's arm. My shriek was completely involuntary, and I hadn't even realized I'd done it until Emily turned to me sharply in surprise, chuckling as she watched me try to keep myself from going into cardiac arrest.

"You okay?" she asked, covering my hand with hers and stroking her thumb over my knuckles. The gesture was comforting, but the smirk she wore as she did it was annoying as hell.

I pouted, choosing to embrace my moment of humiliation by wrapping both of my arms around her own and burying my face into her shoulder. "Don't make fun of me."

She laughed and I felt her drop a kiss to my hair. "You must have been spaced out, this never used to scare you."

I paused, silently deliberating whether or not to tell her. She noticed my silence and bumped her knee against mine. "What?"

My hold on her arm tightened when she tried to move away, but I knew she just wanted to look at me so I perched my chin on her upper arm, our faces suddenly a hairsbreadth away from each other's. "Can I confess something?" I whispered, feeling my face start to heat up in the beginnings of a blush.

Emily frowned and shifted so she could face me better, giving me her full attention.

"I kind of…never really liked scary – I mean, any type really, of – of horror movies." I hated that I felt myself blushing. This was so stupid, but having her looking at me like that was disconcerting in more ways than one.

It took her a moment to realize what I had just said, but when she did her look of utter perplexity made me burst into giggles.

"Wait, what? You're totally lying." I was glad to see that her lips were quirking into a smile as I laughed, but her eyes were clouded with questions. When I shrugged simply, her jaw dropped. "What do you mean you never liked horror films? You were the only one who would always sit through them with me! And I was always the one hiding behind you!"

I laughed. She looked like someone had yanked the floor right out from under her she was so bewildered. I tried to explain, but apparently she wasn't done voicing her perplexity.

"_And_ you offered to go with me to the midnight screening of Paranormal Activity! And −"

I grabbed one of her hands in both of mine and kissed it soundly, effectively shutting off her rant. "I only did those things because I knew how much you loved them and none of the other girls were brave enough to do it with you. Truth is – I hated them, they scare the shit out of me." I giggled to myself, remembering the midnight screening we'd snuck out to see. "In fact, I think I spent like three days without sleep after Paranormal Activity."

Her jaw was slack with surprise, her eyes darting all over my face – my guess searching for any sign that I was pulling something over her. Smiling, I waited patiently for her to respond, taking the time to play with her fingers as my eyes never wavered from hers. Her eyes were twinkling with something I couldn't decipher clearly. Happiness, maybe? Awe?

"You really did that?" she finally breathed, and a flash of warmth heated my chest when I heard her voice break.

Jesus, were those _tears_? "Oh sweetie, are you crying?" I giggled despite myself, letting go of her hand to wipe my thumbs over the mist gathering in her eyes.

Emily laughed, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink before she looked away bashfully. "I just −" She shrugged, and I tilted her face softly so she would look at me. "I don't think anyone's ever done something like that for me."

"And you didn't expect me of all people to be the one to do it." I finished for her easily, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear to soften my words. She bit her lip nervously, waiting for me to respond. I smiled as I ran my thumb along her bottom lip, tugging it out from where she had it trapped between her teeth. I didn't like that she could still be afraid of my reactions, I wanted to reassure her. "I told you, you were always my favorite."

Suddenly she grabbed my chin and leaned forward, meeting our lips in a forceful kiss. Her soft lips captured mine briefly, barely giving time for my eyes to flutter before she pulled away, her forehead resting against mine.

"You are so amazing," she breathed, her brown eyes smoldering as they bore into mine. But a soft smile graced her lips when she continued. "I always knew you were."

Part of me felt so _relieved_ to hear her say that, relieved and so freaking _happy_. This girl had really never given up on me. "You are such a softie," I murmured teasingly, cradling her face in my hands and bringing her in for another kiss.

Emily smiled, flushing a darker shade of red. She laced our hands and placed them in her lap, her head jerking softly towards the TV. "We can change the movie if you want."

I was touched by the offer – I think this was probably her all-time favorite – but nevertheless I shook my head. "No sweetie, it's fine." I smirked, unlatching one of my hands to loop my arm around hers and snuggle into her side. "Besides, I like having an excuse to grab on to you."

Emily snorted. "As if you need one."

* * *

We finished the movie mostly in silence, with the occasional whimper or shriek whenever any other demonic being possessed the screen. Somehow I ended up in her lap after a particularly nasty scene that had made us both jump about a foot in the air. She'd laughed at my bewildered expression – I hadn't even realized I'd moved until she'd wrapped her arms around my waist – but curling into her lap like that made the rest of the movie almost bearable. Almost.

The past two years had hardwired my brain to naturally lean towards pessimism, so having her hold me so intimately, with her hands resting on my stomach and my head nestled against her shoulder – something that, if I was completely honest, I'd wanted for a very _very _long time – had me thinking of how _close_ I'd been to losing her to A last night. If we'd been a few minutes late to that forest, if Spencer hadn't found Emily when she did… Last night had been compiled of so many details, and it only would've taken one tiny thing to change – one tiny thing for us to have done differently and we could have lost Emily forever. Our kiss last night would have never happened. Instead of hearing her give me a second chance, I would have been sitting at a church listening to her funeral, the second funeral I would have attended since coming back to Rosewood. That thought alone had my chest tightening both in panic and in anger.

"Don't."

I snapped back to reality suddenly, feeling Emily tighten her hold on me and nuzzle her nose into my neck softly. Had I said anything out loud?

"Hmm?" I hummed in question, covering one of her hands with mine and stroking her knuckles with the pad of my thumb.

"I can practically hear you thinking," she murmured before pressing a light kiss to my temple, making me smile. "Don't think about that."

"How could you possibly know what I'm thinking about?"

Emily chuckled. "Because I know you, Ali."

I smirked. "Oh do you now?"

"Yes, ma'am. That's why I know exactly what'll get all that negativity out of that beautiful blonde head of yours."

That made me turn to her in surprise, my cheeks blushing when I realized she'd just called me beautiful. She was grinning now, her eyes sparkling with mischief. I loved seeing her like this: care free, for once.

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What?"

She bit her lip playfully, kissed me quickly and moved me off her lap before running to the kitchen. I spun around on the couch, following her with my narrowed eyes as far as the room would allow. The sound of cabinets opening and slamming shut and the clink of silverware hitting against each other momentarily floated to my ears before she popped her head from behind the wall, grinning madly.

"Heads up!"

My reflexes kicked in just in time to grab whatever it was she'd just tossed at me from the other side of the room. A closer look showed me I was holding an unopened tub of the heavenly hazelnut spread that I'd always considered a gift from the food gods, otherwise known to everyone else as Nutella.

I laughed, watching her skip back to me waving two spoons in her hand. "You're actually feeding my Nutella addiction?" Because that was basically what it was. I used to be able to live off this stuff.

Emily shrugged playfully as she sat down. "If you can't beat them," She grabbed the tub out of my hands and ripped off the seal, offering me the first spoonful. "Join them."

I could feel myself grinning like a five year old. Emily was the only one who knew the extent of my obsession with this stuff. I scooped up a neat spoonful and gladly sucked it off my spoon, watching her as she did the same. I sighed when the chocolate touched my tongue, my eyes fluttering in pleasure: I couldn't remember the last time I'd actually had this. The taste brought back memories of summer sleepovers, midnight phone calls and sneaking off for secret meet ups with Emily, which usually ended with kissing. The chocolate dissolved in my mouth and my eyes fell back to her, and I noticed her watching my lips with hooded eyes.

_Oh, this should be fun_.

Grabbing another spoonful and making sure to keep my eyes on her the whole time, I stuck my tongue out to catch the tiny trickle of spread that was hanging off the spoon, "accidentally" letting some chocolate snag on my lips. As I slid the spoon into my mouth, her eyes flashed to my lips and immediately darkened, making me smirk. I played around with the spoon for a few seconds until I finally decided to pull it out ever so slowly, my tongue darting out to wipe the chocolate off my lips. She'd eaten her own spoonful as I'd played around with mine, but her eyes had watched me so hungrily I wondered if she'd even noticed she was eating. My eyes were unexpectedly drawn to her chest: was she breathing heavier or was it just my imagination? I glanced back up at her, noticing a smudge of chocolate on the corner of her mouth.

"Em," I said with a grin, gesturing to my own lips. "You have −"

She broke out of her trance, her brow furrowing as she wiped at the wrong side of her mouth. I smiled, waving off her hand and using my thumb to wipe gently at her skin. The smudge was on my finger now, one that I didn't hesitate to put in my mouth, making sure she watched me as I did. I saw her swallow hard and I laughed.

She recovered quickly with my giggle, matching my smirk as she offered me another spoonful. "Messier than I remembered."

I grimaced mockingly with an agreeing nod, suddenly getting an idea. To hell with the spoon: I dipped my index finger straight into the container and swirled it around to get a decent sized blob of it on to my finger as I pulled it out. As it trickled down my finger, inching closer to my palm, I shrugged my shoulders innocently in a silent _oops_.

"Really messy," I whispered throatily, batting my eyelashes playfully.

I was bringing my finger to my mouth to lick the mess of chocolate off when she grabbed my wrist tightly. She was placing the container on the coffee table but her eyes were firmly set on me, almost black with desire and emanating pure, animalistic lust. I restrained a shudder as I waited for her next move, because that desire was definitely not for chocolate.

"Let me help you with that." Emily offered sweetly. She didn't wait for me to respond before bringing my hand to her mouth.

My pulse exploded the second her tongue touched my skin. Her tongue darted out to collect the trickle of chocolate that was slowly approaching my palm and she gave it a slow lick. I exhaled shakily, all kinds of tingles running up my arm. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief, and she had the gall to smirk and give me a wink before she dragged my finger completely into her mouth.

God, this was so _hot_. Her mouth was warm, and I could feel the suction as she slurped on the chocolate; but when she started swirling her tongue around my finger, I lost it.

_Fuck_.

I was concentrating on keeping my eyes open, so the moan that escaped my lips was completely unfiltered, and it made her lips curve into a full, smug smile. Her tongue was giving me all kinds of chills and tingles and flashes of warmth that ran straight to my core and had me aching in places only she had ever sparked to life. Emily finally pulled my finger out with a _pop_, licking her lips with a wicked grin as she released my wrist.

"All clean."

I could feel my chest heaving, I couldn't even breathe right. That had to be the hottest thing I'd ever experienced. The longer I waited to respond, the wider her grin became until at last I found my voice.

"You are _so _not a prude."

For a moment we just looked at each other, and her stare was so intense I swear I thought I would burst into flames. Then something snapped in both of us and I don't really know who moved first. Two seconds later we were on each other in a mess of lips, limbs and groans. Somehow I ended up pushing her into the back of the couch with my legs straddling her hips, her hands gripping my waist. I grasped her neck with both of my hands, keeping her head firmly in place as I dominated her mouth.

Emily's lips parted and I wasted no time in thrusting my tongue into her mouth, groaning when our tongues touched. The way she rubbed her tongue against mine sent a deep shudder through me that ran straight to my center, ending in a rush of warmth that had me pressing my hips hard into her lap. Emily wrapped her arms tightly around my waist, emitting a groan of her own when I dug my hands into her hair. I was pushed up so close against her I could feel her heart hammering away against my chest, completely in tune with mine. After a moment wee broke away with a heaving gasp for oxygen, but I immediately attached my lips to her neck, desperate to maintain the contact.

"Ali…" she groaned, her head rolling back in pleasure.

I attacked her neck mercilessly, feeling the vibrations of her groan against my lips. My teeth nipped at her skin before I soothed the area with a swirl of my tongue, creating an alternating trail from her jaw down to her shoulder. I loved hearing her responses to everything I was doing, and the way her grip on me tightened only urged me further. Her breathing hitched as I approached a spot above her collarbone, so I sucked. Hard.

"Oh _God_."

Holy mother of God, there was absolutely nothing sexier than hearing Emily Fields moan. I was positive there was no way she couldn't feel the rush of wetness that had pooled in my underwear by now. She had barely touched me and I was _soaked_, just by hearing her. If I told anyone that out of the two of us Emily was the loud one, I would bet money that everyone would think I was crazy.

I eased up on her neck, knowing there was already a hickey there by now. Emily would probably kill me when she realized. My lips moved on their own, trailing kisses back up her neck until our lips met again. All of a sudden, her grip on my waist tightened and she flipped us over. I found myself laying flat on my back, my legs wrapped around her hips with her laying completely over me.

I ran my tongue along her bottom lip and felt the moist warmth of her own dart out to meet mine. Her pace was slower, but she pushed and tugged at the kiss in a way that told me _she_ was in control now, and I was totally happy to let that happen. Her taste was addictive, like chocolate and fruit and something vaguely minty that I could only describe as _her. _One of her hands glided down my side to my waist, teasing the bottom of my T-Shirt up just enough for her to slide her hand under. My hips bucked instinctively when her hand met my bare skin, the friction the movement created making me moan into her mouth. As her hips started grinding into me, her lips dragged down to my neck where she bit down, letting me know it was my turn to get back just what I'd given. Her perfect combination of licks and nips and grazes of her teeth – combined with the way her fingers were ghosting over my bare skin and how her hips were thrusting into my center – had me trembling and moaning into her hair in a matter of seconds.

"God, Em." I gasped, my eyes rolling back as she sucked on my pulse. My hands were clawing at her back, and for a moment I considered the possibility that I might be hurting her.

Our lips met in another searing kiss, all thoughts flying out the window, and her hand started trailing up my side, inching closer to my breast at a pace slow enough to drive me insane. I couldn't take it anymore: I reached for her arm and –

_RING. RING. RING. _

I groaned in frustration when her hand halted its path, our lips breaking apart. My eyes were still closed as I tried to gather any ounce of self-control I might have left so I wouldn't pounce on her again. I could feel her chest heaving against mine. She was probably panting into my ear but I could barely hear anything over the blood rushing in my ears.

"I'll ignore it," she whispered, her teeth tugging at my earlobe.

Her teeth on my skin made me shudder, and I was more than happy to continue our activities despite the consistent blaring of her cellphone. Then I thought back to her parents in Texas and how scared we had all been through the entire bombing ordeal. The image of Emily brokenly staring at her TV waiting for news to break sufficiently cooled my hormones.

I opened my eyes with a heavy sigh, my hands trailing soothingly up and down her back. "Answer it, Em. It could be your mom."

She moaned quietly in protest, kissing my cheek in apology before pushing herself off me and reaching for her phone. I sat up, running my hands through my hair to settle it down because if Emily's hair was anything to go by, I probably had some serious sex hair.

"Hello?" She was slightly out of breath and her chest was still heaving, but she managed to sound convincingly calm. Her eyes locked on mine and she smiled, her own hand going up to pat down her tousled hair as she watched me settle mine. "Hi, Mom."

I glanced over her quickly as she listened to her mom, feeling a rush of possessiveness when I caught sight of the red and purple hickey on her neck. That was going to need some _serious_ concealer action for school tomorrow. My fingers immediately went to my own neck where the spot was still slightly moist from where she'd been sucking. The skin was still sensitive, making me wince as my fingers brushed over it. Never mind the concealer, tomorrow was going to be a scarf kind of day. I smirked, imagining what the girls would think when we showed up to school with matching neck attire.

"Mhmm, we're all fine." I could vaguely hear Pam Fields's voice through the receiver. "Yeah, the girls stayed over last night but they had stuff to do during the day so I'm with Alison now." She paused and made an adorable face she probably didn't even realize she was making. "Yes, Mom." She sighed and rolled her eyes at me, gesturing with her hand that she thought her mother was blabbing crap.

I giggled, stretching my legs so that my feet could rest on the coffee table in front of me.

"Oh, really?" Her tone seemed surprised as she listened to whatever her mom was saying. She casually stretched her arm along the back of the couch and her fingers found my hair, absently running them through small strands. I leaned into her touch, placing my hand on her bare thigh and letting my thumb run over her soft skin.

It suddenly struck me how natural these gestures felt. As if they'd always been a part of our relationship.

"No, I agree. That's totally fine, I can handle things here." I frowned. Was Pam staying in Texas? "Is Dad alright?" I felt her start to twirl a lock of my hair with her fingers, but by the look on her face I could tell she had no idea she was doing it. "Alright. Well, give him a hug for me." She nodded into the phone, rolling her eyes yet again. "Yeah Mom, I'll tell her. Alright – love you too. Bye."

Emily heaved a sigh as she ended the call and tossed her phone to the end of the couch. She immediately turned to me, cradling my face with the hand that wasn't already in my hair and planted a long kiss to my cheek.

"I'm so sorry about that," she said bitterly.

I giggled, turning my head to peck her lips. "Talk about your mood killer, huh."

"You can say that again."

Tugging one of her hands to my lap, I laced our fingers together. "What did your mom say?"

She leaned back again, her hand continuing its journey through my hair. "She's staying in Texas for a few more days to help clean up and volunteer at the hospital. Oh, and she says hi." She threw in a cheeky grin that made me blush and poke her side playfully as I laughed. We both knew her mom suspected we had a thing going on, and Emily knew the idea of Pam actually interrogating me as her daughter's girlfriend had me terrified.

Her smile turned into a grimace and her fingers brushed against my neck where I could feel the hickey starting to form. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. I got a little −"

"Carried away?" I smiled, reaching out to touch her own spot on her neck. "I think I gave as good as I got, babe."

Emily groaned and dropped her head into my lap, her lips forming a cute pout. "I hate my mom right now."

I sighed, nodding my agreement. "You and me both. Severe case of blue balls right here, thank you." I frowned up at the ceiling, reassessing my words. "Well, blue nub would be more accurate."

Emily swatted my stomach and laughed heartily, making me giggle along with her. Her laugh was infectious, and I loved watching the way her eyes lit up with the smile I so rarely got to see anymore.

"You're insane, Ali."

My laugh died down, leaving only a smile in its wake. I lovingly brushed her hair out of her face, imagining what we'd be doing right now had the phone not interrupted. That thought only made my nether regions clench painfully in abandonment, so I quickly pushed it out of my head.

"We'll get to it eventually," I murmured, our gazes locking as I stroked her cheek softly.

Emily smiled, her cheeks flushing with the barest hint of a blush. Her eyes, twinkling with mirth just a moment ago, were suddenly drowning with hesitance as her smile wavered lightly. I tilted my head in confusion, not really understanding where her change of mood was coming from.

"What is it, Em?" I asked softly.

Her smile remained firm as she exhaled slowly, grabbing my hand that was on her cheek and threading our fingers together over her heartbeat. The gesture made me both slightly giddy and nervous, but I didn't understand why until she spoke, because apparently my body had understood what she was about to say before my head could catch up.

"I love you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh my God, I am so so so sorry it took so long for this update. It's been crazy these last few days. First I was moving out of my house, then I was moving into college, and then this last week I caught a nasty virus that has had me in bed literally all day every day. I'm finally starting to feel better so I pushed through this chapter. Word of warning, I'm posting it without proof reading or anything so I apologize in advance for any errors. I'll come back and fix it once my head is a little bit clearer. **

**On a side note, thank you so much to all of those who read, reviewed, followed and favorited my new story! I promise I'll get back to that one too once this virus is flushed out. I start classes soon so I might not update with the same frequency I did this story but I'll do my best. **

**Anyways, hope you guys like this new chapter! It's extra extra long because I feel extra extra guilty for making you wait so long lol Please Read and REVIEW! I love hearing your thoughts and opinions! **

**Enjoy! xoxo**

**PS: THANK YOU to the reviewer who reminded me! I totally forgot to post this: **

**WARNING: There's mention and somewhat graphic description of rape in this chapter, read at own risk. (Plus, I went a little off canon for this chapter and gave things my own little spin, nothing too major nor too significant. Only did it so it would work better with the story.)  
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_I love you_.

God, those words made me feel like someone had dropped a lead brick into my stomach. I could honestly not remember the last time someone had said that to me, since everything around here had been so rushed and chaotic with my return that not even my dad had bothered, especially now with my mom's death looming over us; but hearing them come from Emily had me with my stomach in my throat and my heart threatening to burst through my chest. The meaning she gave them, combined with the tenderness and undying devotion in her eyes as she looked at me like I was the only person in the world who mattered was just …utterly surreal.

To have someone at your side who you know would support you through anything and everything, who would go through hell and back for you – hell, who had _already _gone through hell and back for you and only continued to prove exactly how much she cares, how much she's _always _cared and probably always would, if I was lucky, meant more to me right now than I could ever put into words.

"I love you too," I said hoarsely, my voice breaking oddly at the end. I could feel the smile on my lips threatening to split my face in two.

Emily smiled sweetly, lifting her head just as I leaned down to meet in a soft, gentle kiss that was little more than a brush of our lips against each other's.

"Very. Very. Much." I added in a whisper, accentuating every word with another kiss.

Emily chuckled, stroking her free hand over my cheek. "Now who's the one crying?"

I frowned, my free hand reaching up to where her fingers had touched my cheek. Sure enough, they came back wet and only now did I realize that my cheeks were damp. I laughed breathlessly, bending down to kiss her again.

"I didn't even realize I was crying," I admitted sheepishly.

Her hands came up and held my face firmly, holding me in place to give me one last, long kiss that left me breathless and struggling to control my racing heartbeat. Emily sat up and turned to lean her back against my side. I shifted, resting my own back against the couch's arm so she could lean further into me and I could wrap my arm around her waist. She linked our fingers over her stomach as we settled comfortably to watch the final scenes of the movie unfold.

It was easy to forget the outside world with everything so quiet around us. It would be so easy to just…give in to each other and spend the rest of our lives like this. Spending moments like this made it possible to imagine a world without A – Friday night dates at the town theater, Saturdays lounging around or actually hanging out recreationally with the other girls, grabbing coffee at the Brew and poking fun at the private school boys in their preppy uniforms. But I could never manage to hold that image for long. A would always send a text, or a new threat, or blow something up and shatter the perfect world I'd created in my head. I would have lost hope a long time ago, but having the girls was the only thing that kept me going. And having Emily know would only fuel my determination to put this all to rest once and for all.

Emily shifted in my arms, resting her head in the crook of my shoulder in a way where she could look at me. I had a feeling she wanted to say something, but it was a couple of minutes later when she finally spoke up.

"Ali?"

"Yeah, babe?"

I saw her smile at the pet name, and I made a mental note to use it more often.

"You know that – that I −" She huffed, rolling her eyes at her obviously flustered self. I smiled reassuringly, nudging her temple gently with my chin in a silent prompt for her to continue. "…that I've been with – with other girls, right?"

I raised an eyebrow, nodding slowly. Of course I knew that. I disappeared and left behind a meek and shy girl who was barely bold enough to kiss her boyfriend in front of her best friends, and I came back to a woman who was completely attuned and confident with her sexuality, gay as it was. That clearly hadn't happened on its own – and besides, I had CeCe check up on the girls often enough to be kept up to date with their relationships.

"I mean, that I've been with other girls…like that." Her eyes flickered to my neck where I was sporting my own branding, marking me as hers – proudly, I might add. I'd scream it to the world if I had it my way.

My mouth formed a silent "oh" as I finally understood what she meant. "Are you trying to tell me that you've had sex before, Em?" I asked with a smirk.

Emily turned her head into my neck as she nodded, a failed attempt at hiding the blush that was heating up her face. I chuckled, resting my cheek against the top of her head.

"I know that, Emily, I'm not stupid. I mean, you've had your share of relationships." She looked up at me shyly through her lashes and I smiled, dropping a comforting kiss to her forehead. "It's okay, sweetie. I know I wouldn't be your first." I paused for a moment, unsure of whether or not to ask what was on my mind, but the way she smiled assured me that she knew this was pure curiosity. "Can I ask who was?"

She sighed, dropping a soft kiss to my neck before settling against me. "Maya. I mean, I know I said that thing about Ben but −"

"Oh, I always knew that wasn't true." I admitted. The look of surprise on her face made me smirk. "Sweetie, if you'd actually had sex with Ben willingly and liked it enough to not make it awkward between the two of you, you would've been glowing. At the _least_, you would have tried to tell me or one of the other girls before word got out."

Emily's brow furrowed in confusion. "You seemed so surprised when I told you the rumors weren't true."

My fingers immediately reached up to smooth away the wrinkles on her forehead. "I figured you had a reason for lying. I wanted to see what it was before going to you about it."

I'd had my suspicions about her sexuality for a while, especially after I realized she'd lied about sleeping with her boyfriend. It was only after Noel's Halloween party, where I saw her checking Jenna out, that I was sure, and the surge of jealousy that overcame me that night, inexplicable at the time, unfortunately fueled my urge to use her secret to my advantage.

She titled her head, assessing my words, and finally she just shrugged. "Well then yeah, Maya. But it was the second time around. After Samara and the fling with Paige."

My stomach twisted at the mention of her very recent ex. It seemed that every time I turned a corner Paige was there, looming over us, waiting for the perfect moment to dive in and sweep Emily off her feet like she'd already done before.

I didn't really want to know, but the words were out of my mouth before I could think twice about it.

"And you and Paige never…?"

Again she blushed, but she surprised me with a shake of her head. "She wanted to, a lot – I mean, I thought I did too – and we almost did, a couple of times. We'd get half way through, but when it got to me I never really felt –" Emily paused, chewing on her bottom lip. I could see her struggling to come up with the right words. "Completely into it, I guess. I just never felt like I used to feel wi −" She bit down hard on her lip as her cheeks suddenly flushed a dark shade of red and she turned away.

I raised an eyebrow, tilting her head gently to get her to look at me again. "With whom?"

"Nothing, never mind." she mumbled, shaking her head.

I angled my head to get her to meet my gaze, offering what I hoped was a reassuring smile as I stroked her cheek softly. "You can tell me, sweetie, I won't say anything."

Emily sighed, her face heating up in yet again other blush. Jesus, was _I _making her this uncomfortable? I was starting to think that it might be a good idea to drop the conversation before she passed out or something, but she finally spoke up after a moment.

"With Maya," She glanced at me quickly, her lips curling into a tentative smile. "And especially with you."

I smiled in return, feeling my chest about to burst with pleasure as her words began to sink in, yet I wasn't totally sure I was getting what she was trying to say. "What do you mean?"

"I loved Paige, don't get me wrong," she explained, now with more confidence. "What we had was _so_ genuine and she'll always mean something to me, but…I don't know. With Maya, everything felt so…intense, because it was new, I guess. She was my first honest relationship. But with you…" She chuckled to nothing in particular, glancing at me with a bashful smile, her eyes dancing with mischief.

I laughed, desire pooling in my stomach when her eyes darkened as she realized I'd finally caught on.

"You were so hot for me, Em."

Emily turned her head to press a kiss to my neck, and I could feel her laughing against my skin. "Can you blame me, Ali?"

Now _this _side to Emily Fields I was more than interested in getting to know. With a smirk, I playfully grazed my teeth along her earlobe and tugged before whispering, "Well it was and still _is_ definitely more than mutual."

She emitted an almost feral groan from the back of her throat as she pulled my lips to hers, meeting half way in a hungry kiss. Her tongue swooped into my mouth possessively and I just let my head fall back in surrender, content to let her take the lead in this one because – really, a dominant Emily was _hot_.

I heard a whimper of disappointment when we broke apart, and for a moment I was confused since she'd broken the kiss herself, but when she laughed and pecked me on the nose I realized that I had been the one complaining. Emily's haughty grin was a turn on, I'll give her that, but my only urge was to wipe – or kiss – the smirk off her face. Before I could get a chance to, her smile softened considerably, she kissed me once more, sweet and gentle, and laid her head back against my shoulder.

"So, have you ever…?" I glanced down to see her gesturing abstractly with her hands. "You know."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Okay, maybe Hanna kind of had a point.

"Have you?"

"Slept with a girl before? Can't say that I have," I chuckled as she elbowed me playfully.

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

I grabbed one of her hands and laced our fingers together, silently hoping I could find some way of diverting this conversation elsewhere. I should have known it would turn back to me when I started talking about this, and I wasn't quite ready yet to tell her what had happened to me.

"But in all honesty, Em," I squeezed her hand for emphasis. "You're the only girl I'd ever even consider being with."

Emily brought my hand to her lips and pressed a sound kiss to my palm. "I'm glad to hear that." But when she looked at me, she was frowning. "Why are you avoiding the question?"

_Damn_.

I shrugged, brushing it off as if it were nothing but I could feel my pulse starting to betray me. This was getting a little too close for comfort. "I'm not avoiding it, Em. You already know about it."

"Your pregnancy scare in Cape May? Was that your first time?"

I nodded, rolling my eyes at the memory of it. "Yeah, CeCe insisted on hooking me up with some friend of hers that apparently thought I was hot. I kind of didn't want to, to be honest," I admitted, realizing with a pang that this was the first time I was telling this story to anyone. It felt to easy talking to Emily, so natural. I'd grown so used to having to double think everything and watch what I say that it almost felt unusual to just be able to speak my mind. "But you know CeCe, I didn't have much of a choice. I had a couple of drinks with him, and since he was pretty cute and I already knew he wanted it," I shrugged. "I went for it."

"And how was it?" she asked, watching me carefully.

Again, I rolled my eyes. I barely remembered that night, and the little I did remember wasn't pleasant. We were both wasted and he had been everything but gentle. "Unmemorable. In fact," I laughed dryly, more of that night coming back to me as I recounted the story. "He passed out right after he finished. Literally _right_ after he came."

Emily snorted. "Jerk." Her gaze softened as she stroked her thumb over my knuckles. "I'm sorry your first time was with him."

"Don't worry," I said with a nonchalant shrug, smiling as I nuzzled her neck softly. "I can have a different one now."

That got her to smile. "I'll make sure to make it memorable then."

The smile that spread over my face was one I knew by now only Emily could get out of me. I kissed her temple in thanks, thankful that she seemed content to drop the subject as she curled up against me. Yet my relief only lasted a few minutes, since apparently she'd only paused to gather up courage to ask her next question.

"Was he your only one?"

_Damn it. _

I literally felt my blood run cold. "W-what?"

She didn't seem to notice my stutter because she didn't even hesitate to repeat the question. "I mean, you said he was your first time. Was he the only guy you ever slept with?"

I knew why she was asking. Back then I was always flirting around with guys and talking her and the others about random college guys I'd meet with CeCe, all four girls oblivious to the fact that most of what I told them was bullshit. She was just curious, and it would be so easy to just say that he was the only one and appease her curiosity.

Yet my mind couldn't help but flash back to that horrible night in Philadelphia nearly two years ago, the scar on my thigh tingling at the memory. I was so _stupid_. Granted, I had just barely run away and I was scared out of my mind. But now that I could look back on it with fresh eyes, that entire ordeal had had _trap_ written all over it in big, bright, neon red caps.

Emily shifted next to me, making me realize I had probably hesitated for a second too long.

"Umm, no – yeah. He was the only one." I fought back the urge to cringe, the words sounding fake even to my own ears.

I busied myself with my cuticles, knowing that she'd read me like a book if I so much as looked at her. She'd shifted so she was facing me completely now, and I could feel her staring at me.

"What aren't you telling me?"

_Fuck_. "I'm not _not_ telling you anything, Em." _Please, just drop it_.

Her hand cupped my cheek and she guided my gaze to meet hers. I did my best to keep a straight face, even as her hand slid down to my neck where she could probably feel my pulse hammering away nervously.

"Come on, Alison." she pleaded, her tone gentle but her eyes swimming with confusion. She almost sounded hurt as she said, "We said no more secrets, right?"

I tried swallowing around the huge lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. How was I supposed to respond to this? I'd promised I'd stop lying to them, to _her_, but I never thought that would come back to bite me in the ass and make me tell her something like this. Hanna had already come close to finding out about the scar during my medical exam a few weeks ago, but she was a lot easier to diffuse. Emily was different, more persistent in a way – or maybe just more interested.

"Ali?"

My mouth opened to respond before my brain could come up with something to say, so I was left with my mouth gaping like an idiot, all chance of smooth talking my way out of this conversation completely out the window.

"Alison." Emily grabbed my face in her hands fiercely enough to match her tone of voice, her eyes hardened with determination. "What. Is. It?"

"Emily…" It barely came out as a whisper, and my eyes watered despite my best efforts. Her gaze was too penetrating – I felt like she could see straight through me, see every disgusting thing I'd had to do to survive while I was gone. "I – I can't."

"Yes you can!" Her fingers tightened on my face, her eyes glistening, whether with confusion, frustration or disappointment I was too overwhelmed to decide. "You can tell me anything. You know this, Ali."

"I can't talk about this, Emily!" I snapped harshly. I didn't want to lash out at her, but the tone of voice slipped in naturally. It was enough to make her let go of me, her eyes flashing with hurt, and I immediately buried my face in my hands, resting my elbows on my knees.

We spent a few moments in silence, and I thought maybe I'd managed to throw her off enough for her to leave me alone. I didn't want to hurt her, I hated myself for it. But it wasn't long before I felt her place her hand hesitantly on my lower back.

"What is so horrible that you can't talk to me about?" she asked softly.

Her touch opened my floodgates and I found myself blinking back tears behind my hands as her fingers scratched lightly over my shirt. I wouldn't cry – I _couldn't _cry.

"I'm not going to judge you," she murmured. "I don't care what you did." The scent of her hair filled my nostrils as she leaned down close enough to kiss my shoulder softly. "I love you – no matter what."

I knew deep down that if there was anyone I could confide in without being judged, it was Emily. Yet there was just no way she wouldn't …I felt sick to my stomach every time I thought about that night.

I inhaled deeply through my nose, swallowing the sob that threatened to choke me. Yet with one glance at the look of unconditional support on her face, the tears I'd been adamant in suppressing tumbled down my cheeks harshly, surprising both of us in their numbers.

"Ali," Her hands came up to cup my cheeks again, her eyes searching my face helplessly, completely at loss for what to do. I could practically see the gears turning in her head as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"I'll explain," I promised hoarsely.

Emily was shaking her head, utterly baffled, as I pried one of her hands away from my face and placed it in my lap. Taking a deep breath, both as mental preparation and as a way to stop my seemingly endless tears, I hesitantly spread my legs and led her fingers to my right inner thigh.

"What're you −?"

I stopped about an inch away from the scar, the damaged skin already prickling in anticipation. She was staring at me in complete bewilderment, as if I'd grown two extra heads. I closed my eyes and finally placed her hand over my scar, dragging her fingers along the jagged skin. Her sharp intake of breath told me she understood now.

"Alison…" Her voice was thick, like she was holding back tears. "How did you get that?"

I opened my eyes and was momentarily blinded by the tears that had accumulated before they trailed down my cheeks. Glancing at her confirmed what I already knew: she knew what it was, what it meant. She wanted me to deny it, to say it was a childhood injury I'd gotten while riding my bike, or climbing over a fence, or playing field hockey, that it was just a scar she'd never really noticed before because I was embarrassed of its location and had never allowed anyone to see it. Anything but the truth.

I hung my head, not trusting my voice to speak and too ashamed to see the look on her face when she realized there was no other truth to this.

"Oh my God."

She leaned forward and placed her elbows on her knees, clasping her hands together and leaning her forehead against them. My tears came fast and powerful when her face scrunched up in silent sobs.

"When did it happen?" she asked after a moment, teary eyes turning to look at me.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, choosing to look anywhere but at her. I couldn't bear the thought of her thinking any less of me, and I didn't want to see the moment when she'd come to face the truth. "A few weeks after I disappeared," I answered in a croaky whisper. She didn't say anything else, and I realized she was waiting for me to continue. "I'd had another run in with A and I was hiding out in this café in Philly I'd found a few days before that. There was this guy there, supposedly married,"

I could still see him perfectly in my head: he'd been in his mid-thirties, tall, brown hair, well built, warm hazel eyes, charming smile…your typical Philadelphia businessman, a coffee house regular. He'd been so easy to talk to. Yet now I could remember certain traits that might have been a red flag had I noticed them back then: eyes maybe too wide, too interested in what I was saying, smile maybe too understanding, wedding ring too worn out to be less than five years old.

Emily stood up brashly, hands on her head as she started to pace, inhaling deeply with every step. Her movement jostled me out of my flashback.

"I'd met him a few days before," I continued quietly, trying to ignore how between every lungful she took, her breath hitched as she fought to control her tears. "He'd always sit in the same spot and talk to me from time to time when I went there to hide out. He saw me freaking out that day and offered to help. God," I laughed dryly, glaring up at the ceiling, cursing him inwardly. "I was so _stupid_."

Emily sat down again, her breathing finally normal. I chanced a glance at her face and wished I hadn't: her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were soaked with tears, much like what I imagined I must look like. She was waiting for me to go on, face expressionless.

"He seemed so nice," I said, my eyes leaving her face and focusing on my knees instead. "So genuine. And I was so – so _desperate_. He told me he had a family, a wife and kids. Said that his wife could take care of me, give me a hot meal and lend me some clothes." I scoffed despite myself because really – I'd been _that_ stupid. It sounded so ridiculous now. "His family turned out to be two burn-out roommates in this shady apartment bordering West Philly." My throat tightened again as new tears started blurring my vision. "By the time I realized he'd tricked me, he had already locked me inside his apartment."

Memories were coming back hard and fast now. The acrid smell of mildew and beer that had completely overpowered his entire apartment, the dampness of his furniture on my skin as they'd pushed me against them, the heart-clenching desperation of wanting to run and not being able to…

"I tried fighting." My voice broke at the end, and only then I realized I was crying again. "I tried fighting with anything and everything I could find around me and inside me. But they had me outnumbered three against one."

Emily was dragging her hands through her hair now, her fingers clenched into claws in an act of desperation. She kept shaking her head, as if denying it to the universe would make my story that – just a story. If only.

"They took turns," I said grimly. "Two would hold me down while the third got his round. One of them had a Swiss Army knife in his pocket that started digging into me while he was thrusting." The scar on my thigh stung, as if it recognized I was recounting its creation. "They didn't even care about the blood. They just figured I was a virgin and they were 'taking care of me'." I put air quotes around the last words and Emily chuckled darkly.

"How'd you get away?" she asked, speaking up for the first time since I'd started the story. Her voice was even, but her eyes were brimming with rage and disgust. I could barely look at her without flinching.

"Once the last one was almost done, they started to let their guard down. I managed to use my nails to get the other two off me and I ran out of the apartment, half naked and screaming for help." I rolled my eyes, wiping at the wetness on my cheeks with the sleeves of my shirt. "No one even bothered to come out and see what was happening. It was such a shitty neighborhood I wouldn't doubt that seeing something like that was nothing out of the ordinary. I ended up running through the streets in the middle of the night until I hit UPenn and some campus security guard found me. He helped me call CeCe and she took me to the hospital."

We were quiet for a while, my occasional hiccups and Emily's deep, even breathing the only thing breaking the silence between us. I didn't look at her, too afraid to see what her reaction would be. I didn't want pity, but I didn't expect her to just brush this off either.

Finally she spoke up first.

"My God, Alison."

The couch dipping caught my attention, and I looked up just as she was scooting to close the distance between us, sitting so that our thighs were touching completely. She opened her arms, prying one of my arms away from my knees and pulling me into her embrace.

"C'mere, sweetheart." she murmured as she wrapped her arms around me, the endearment rolling off her tongue so naturally I didn't think twice about it.

I let myself fall into her, my head resting easily in the crook of her neck. And when she whispered an "I love you" into my hair, all hell broke loose inside me. It started with a sniffle, but suddenly I was crying – no, sobbing hysterically into her chest as she rocked us, and I let her hold me. I couldn't remember the last time someone had done this for me – the last time someone had held me like this while I'd had a good cry. Come to think of it, I couldn't remember the last time I'd let myself cry like this either.

I felt so goddamn _safe_ with her, in every sense of the word.

I don't know how much time passed, but only when my sobs died down did I realize she'd been whispering into my ear all this time.

"It's okay," she cooed softly, her hands running through my hair. "You're okay, Ali. Let it out, it's okay. It's over."

The sleeves of my shirt were already soaked, but I wiped away at my cheeks anyways. Emily noticed and gathered my face in her hands, the pads of her thumbs stroking away the wetness I had missed. She held my face mere inches from her own, forcing me to look straight into her eyes.

"You _didn't_ deserve that," she murmured fiercely. Her cheeks were stained with tears but she'd stopped crying a while ago. "You know that, don't you Ali? This was completely out of your control and no one, _no one_ deserves to go through what you just told me."

"For the longest time I thought it was karma." I admitted, too mortified to meet her loving gaze. "That it was just the universe's way of making me pay back everything I did to the people I knew and the people I cared about, because A just wasn't enough."

Emily rested her forehead against mine and I closed my eyes. "Karma's a bitch, but no one deserves that." She kissed my forehead softly before she started peppering kisses all over my face. "You're the strongest person I know, Alison. I don't ever want you to forget that." Her lips brushed against mine, and my hands flew up to her wrists to hold her in place. "I am so _so _proud of you."

I smiled at that, turning my head to kiss her palm. It was nicer than I expected hearing her say she was proud of me. I wormed my way to her side again, snuggling my head into her neck and wrapping my arms around her waist as she wrapped hers around me in return.

"So this doesn't change anything?" I asked timidly because I couldn't help myself.

"Not in the slightest," Emily whispered, kissing my forehead. "You are just as beautiful and gorgeous and perfect as you've always been."

I rolled my eyes with a smile, feeling some of my attitude coming back. Then with a smirk, I added, "So…you still wanna sleep with me?"

"More than ever."

Her lips were still brushing over my face and she sounded so _genuine_. My eyes watered against my will because she was just too perfect and beautiful and there was no way in hell I had ever done anything in my life that made me worthy enough of having her to myself.

I hadn't even realized I was moving until our lips met and I was on my knees beside her, cradling her delicate face in my hands. She placed her hands on my hips, fingers ghosting over my skin as I took my time to explore every inch of her mouth with my tongue, and she let me. She let me control the kiss this time, and I quickly figured out dominating Emily was just as hot as having her dominate me.

"I love you so much," I mumbled against her lips before finally breaking away, resting my forehead against hers. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

Emily smiled. "I told you, Ali." She captured my lips again, quickly but heatedly.

"Never."


End file.
